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Psalm 81:5-16
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Psalm 81:5-16
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
5 For this is a law for Israel,
an edict of the God of Jacob,(A)
6 He made it a decree for Joseph
when he came out of the land of Egypt.
II
7 [a]I heard a tongue I did not know:
“I removed his shoulder from the burden;[b]
his hands moved away from the basket.(B)
8 In distress you called and I rescued you;
I answered you in secret with thunder;
At the waters of Meribah[c] I tested you:(C) 9 ‘Listen, my people, I will testify against you
Selah
If only you will listen to me, Israel!(D)
10 There shall be no foreign god among you;[d](E)
you shall not bow down to an alien god.
11 ‘I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up from the land of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth that I may fill it.’
12 But my people did not listen to my words;
Israel would not submit to me.
13 So I thrust them away to the hardness of their heart;
‘Let them walk in their own machinations.’(F)
14 O that my people would listen to me,
that Israel would walk in my ways,(G)
15 In a moment I would humble their foes,
and turn back my hand against their oppressors.(H)
16 Those who hate the Lord will try flattering him,
but their fate is fixed forever.
Footnotes
- 81:7 I heard a tongue I did not know: a Temple official speaks the word of God (Ps 81:5b–16), which is authoritative and unlike merely human words (cf. Nm 24:4, 16).
- 81:7 I removed his shoulder from the burden: A reference to the liberation of Israel from slavery in Egypt. The basket: for carrying clay to make bricks, cf. Ex 1:14.
- 81:8 Meribah: place of rebellion in the wilderness; cf. Ex 17:7; Nm 20:13.
- 81:10 There shall be no foreign god among you: as in Ps 50 and 95, Israel is challenged to obey the first commandment of fidelity to God after the proclamation of the exodus.
Psalm 81:5-16
New International Version
Psalm 81:5-16
New International Version
5 When God went out against Egypt,(A)
he established it as a statute for Joseph.
I heard an unknown voice say:(B)
6 “I removed the burden(C) from their shoulders;(D)
their hands were set free from the basket.
7 In your distress you called(E) and I rescued you,
I answered(F) you out of a thundercloud;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.[a](G)
8 Hear me, my people,(H) and I will warn you—
if you would only listen to me, Israel!
9 You shall have no foreign god(I) among you;
you shall not worship any god other than me.
10 I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.(J)
Open(K) wide your mouth and I will fill(L) it.
11 “But my people would not listen to me;
Israel would not submit to me.(M)
12 So I gave them over(N) to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.
13 “If my people would only listen to me,(O)
if Israel would only follow my ways,
14 how quickly I would subdue(P) their enemies
and turn my hand against(Q) their foes!
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe(R) before him,
and their punishment would last forever.
16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;(S)
with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 81:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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