1Sing for joy to God our strength;
make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob.
2Lift up a song, strike the tambourine,
play the sweet-sounding harp and lyre.
3Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon,
and at the full moon on the day of our Feast.
4For this is a statute for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
5He ordained it as a testimony for Joseph
when he went out over the land of Egypt,
where I heard an unfamiliar language:
6“I relieved his shoulder of the burden;
his hands were freed from the basket.
7You called out in distress, and I rescued you;
I answered you from the cloud of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
8Hear, O My people, and I will warn you:
O Israel, if only you would listen to Me!
9There must be no strange god among you,
nor shall you bow to a foreign god.
10I am the LORD your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth,
and I will fill it.
11But My people would not listen to Me,
and Israel would not obey Me.
12So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.
13If only My people would listen to Me,
if Israel would follow My ways,
14how soon I would subdue their enemies
and turn My hand against their foes!
15Those who hate the LORD would feign obedience,
and their doom would last forever.
16But I would feed you the finest wheat;
with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
— Psalm 81

Related Resources from Heartlight

God Our Strength
Illustration of Psalm 81:1-3

Illustration of Psalm 81:1-3 -- Sing praises to God, our strength. Sing to the God of Jacob. Sing! Beat the tambourine. Play the sweet lyre and the harp. Blow the ram's horn at new moon.