CORPUS-PSALTERIUMVol. IV
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Corpus Psalterium · Vol. IV

Psalm LXXXI (81)

Cantillated — Dialogical Proclamation

Paul Whitehorn

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Psalm 81 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.

Heb 1

For the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath. By Asaph.

לַמְנַצֵּ֬חַ ׀ עַֽל־הַגִּתִּ֬ית לְאָסָֽף׃

1Heb 2

Sing aloud to God, our strength! Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob!

הַ֭רְנִינוּ לֵאלֹהִ֣ים עוּזֵּ֑נוּ הָ֝רִ֗יעוּ לֵאלֹהֵ֥י יַעֲקֹֽב׃

2Heb 3

Raise a song, and bring here the tambourine, the pleasant lyre with the harp.

שְֽׂאוּ־זִ֭מְרָה וּתְנוּ־תֹ֑ף כִּנּ֖וֹר נָעִ֣ים עִם־נָֽבֶל׃

3Heb 4

Blow the trumpet at the New Moon, at the full moon, on our feast day.

תִּקְע֣וּ בַחֹ֣דֶשׁ שׁוֹפָ֑ר בַּ֝כֵּ֗סֶה לְי֣וֹם חַגֵּֽנוּ׃

4Heb 5

For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

כִּ֤י חֹ֣ק לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל ה֑וּא מִ֝שְׁפָּ֗ט לֵאלֹהֵ֥י יַעֲקֹֽב׃

5Heb 6

He appointed it in Joseph for a covenant, when he went out over the land of Egypt, I heard a language that I didn’t know.

עֵ֤דוּת ׀ בִּֽיה֘וֹסֵ֤ף שָׂמ֗וֹ בְּ֭צֵאתוֹ עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם שְׂפַ֖ת לֹא־יָדַ֣עְתִּי אֶשְׁמָֽע׃

6Heb 7

“I removed his shoulder from the burden. His hands were freed from the basket.

הֲסִיר֣וֹתִי מִסֵּ֣בֶל שִׁכְמ֑וֹ כַּ֝פָּ֗יו מִדּ֥וּד תַּעֲבֹֽרְנָה׃

7Heb 8

You called in trouble, and I delivered you. I answered you in the secret place of thunder. I tested you at the waters of Meribah.” Selah.

בַּצָּרָ֥ה קָרָ֗אתָ וָאֲחַ֫לְּצֶ֥ךָּ אֶ֭עֶנְךָ בְּסֵ֣תֶר רַ֑עַם אֶבְחָֽנְךָ֨ עַל־מֵ֖י מְרִיבָ֣ה סֶֽלָה׃

8Heb 9

“Hear, my people, and I will testify to you, Israel, if you would listen to me!

שְׁמַ֣ע עַ֭מִּי וְאָעִ֣ידָה בָּ֑ךְ יִ֝שְׂרָאֵ֗ל אִם־תִּֽשְׁמַֽע־לִֽי׃

9Heb 10

There shall be no strange god in you, neither shall you worship any foreign god.

לֹֽא־יִהְיֶ֣ה בְ֭ךָ אֵ֣ל זָ֑ר וְלֹ֥א תִ֝שְׁתַּחֲוֶ֗ה לְאֵ֣ל נֵכָֽר׃

10Heb 11

I am Yahweh, your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

אָנֹכִ֨י ׀ יְה֘וָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ הַֽ֭מַּעַלְךָ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם הַרְחֶב־פִּ֝֗יךָ וַאֲמַלְאֵֽהוּ׃

11Heb 12

But my people didn’t listen to my voice. Israel desired none of me.

וְלֹא־שָׁמַ֣ע עַמִּ֣י לְקוֹלִ֑י וְ֝יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לֹא־אָ֥בָה לִֽי׃

12Heb 13

So I let them go after the stubbornness of their hearts, that they might walk in their own counsels.

וָֽ֭אֲשַׁלְּחֵהוּ בִּשְׁרִיר֣וּת לִבָּ֑ם יֵ֝לְכ֗וּ בְּֽמוֹעֲצוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃

13Heb 14

Oh that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!

ל֗וּ עַ֭מִּי שֹׁמֵ֣עַֽ לִ֑י יִ֝שְׂרָאֵ֗ל בִּדְרָכַ֥י יְהַלֵּֽכוּ׃

14Heb 15

I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn my hand against their adversaries.

כִּ֭מְעַט אוֹיְבֵיהֶ֣ם אַכְנִ֑יעַ וְעַ֥ל צָ֝רֵיהֶ֗ם אָשִׁ֥יב יָדִֽי׃

15Heb 16

The haters of Yahweh would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever.

מְשַׂנְאֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה יְכַֽחֲשׁוּ־ל֑וֹ וִיהִ֖י עִתָּ֣ם לְעוֹלָֽם׃

16Heb 17

But he would have also fed them with the finest of the wheat. I will satisfy you with honey out of the rock.”

וַֽ֭יַּאֲכִילֵהוּ מֵחֵ֣לֶב חִטָּ֑ה וּ֝מִצּ֗וּר דְּבַ֣שׁ אַשְׂבִּיעֶֽךָ׃

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English: World English Bible (public domain). Verse numbers follow the English Bible; the Hebrew numbering is shown beneath where it differs.

Sing out

to God our strength

Shout

to the God of Jacob

Lift a song

strike the drum

sweet lyre

with the harp

Blow the trumpet

at the new moon

at the full moon

on our feast day

For this is a statute

for Israel

a decree

of the God of Jacob

Sing aloud

sing aloud

shout to God

our strength

Sing aloud

sing aloud

shout to God

our King

He made it a testimony

in Joseph

when He went out

over Egypt

I removed the burden

from your shoulder

your hands

were freed from the basket

You called

in trouble

and I delivered you

I answered you

in the secret of thunder

I tested you

at the waters

Hear, O My people

and I will testify

Israel

if you would listen

Listen now

listen now

hear the voice

of your God

Listen now

listen now

do not turn away

There shall be

no strange god

You shall not bow

to a foreign god

I am the Lord your God

who brought you up

from Egypt

Open your mouth wide

and I will fill it

But My people

did not listen

Israel

would not obey

So I gave them over

to their stubborn hearts

they walked

in their own counsel

Oh that My people

would listen to Me

that Israel

would walk in My ways

Soon I would subdue

their enemies

I would turn My hand

against their foes

Those who hate the Lord

would cringe before Him

their time

would endure forever

Sing aloud

sing aloud

shout to God

our strength

Sing aloud

sing aloud

He alone

is our King

He would feed you

with the finest wheat

from the rock

with honey

He would satisfy you

He would satisfy you

Hear His voice

do not harden

Hear His voice

and live

Sing aloud

to God our strength

Lyrics by Paul Whitehorn: a singable English rendering of the Hebrew, as sung on this recording.

Corpus Psalterium sets each psalm to music by its Hebrew grammar. Didactic psalms teach; Cantillated psalms are spoken, sung or performed before God. Hear all 150 psalms free.

About these songs. They are a summary and a commentary on the Psalms, not a word-for-word translation. Read what these songs are →

What These Songs Are, and What They Are Not

These songs are not a word-for-word translation of the Psalms. They were never meant to be. Nor do they try to capture every idea in every psalm. In a song, that would be impossible.

What we have done is capture the essence of each psalm: what matters most in it. Think of each song as a summary. Think of it as a cheat sheet. The purpose of the psalm is still being met. God's word to mankind is still being heard.

Behind many of these lines is word research: deep study of the meaning of the Hebrew. So where a line sounds different from your translation, and you think it is wrong, study it. We believe you will find that the essence of what we sing is true.

The truth is that no one can set the Psalms to music without also becoming a commentator. That is what this is. It is a modern commentary on the Psalms: not only the Psalms themselves, and not only the Psalms being sung. So do not think that every word of the psalm is here. It is not. Read the psalm itself, in full.

Why do this at all? Because we believe God intended humanity to be surrounded by His word. This was always the entertainment He wanted us to have: not hours of television, not a day lost in a phone looking at nonsense. The blessed man of Psalm 1 meditates on God's word day and night. How can we meditate on His word if we do not surround ourselves with it?

As ministers, our first responsibility is to share God's word with people. That is what these songs are for.

Paul Whitehorn