Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Psalm 81

Muse on... - hear the language you did not know.
שמע hear occurs 5 times in this short psalm
also occurring 5 times is
the particle לֹא

For the leader while musing
of Asaph
Shout for joy to God our strength
be joyful to the God of Jacob
lift up a melody and stretch a tambourine
a pleasant harp with guitar
sound the Shophar in the new moon
in the full moon on the day of our festival

for this is a statute for Israel
a judgment of the God of Jacob
a testimony he placed in Joseph
when he went out through the land of Egypt
I hear a language I did not know

I removed his back from a burden
his palms were delivered from infatuation
in trouble you called and I delivered you
I answered you in the secrecy of thunder
and I tested you at the waters of Meribah
Selah
Hear my people and I will testify to you
Israel if you will hear me
there will not be among you a strange god
and you will not bow down to a foreign god
I יְהוָה your God brought you up from the land of Egypt
open your mouth wide and I will fill it

but my people would not hear my voice
and Israel would not accept me
so I let them go in the stubbornness of their heart
and they walk in their own counsel

if only my people heard me
Israel would walk in my ways
in short order I would humble their enemies
and against their troubles I would turn my hand

those hating יְהוָה would submit to him
and their time would be for ever
I would have fed them from the best wheat
and from the honeyed rock I would have satisfied you

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