Psalm 81 opens with a feast-day shout to God - tambourine, lyre, trumpet at the New Moon - then becomes a divine oracle where God laments Israel’s stubborn silence and names the covenant provision they forfeited.

Full sung version coming soon.

Lyrics

Sing aloud to God, our strength Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob Raise a song and bring here the tambourine

The pleasant lyre with the harp Blow the trumpet at the New Moon At the full moon on our feast day For it is a statute for Israel An ordinance of the God of Jacob

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

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

Hear, my people, and I will testify to you, Israel If you would listen to me There shall be no strange god in you Neither shall you worship any foreign god

I am the LORD, your God Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt Open your mouth wide and I will fill it But my people didn’t listen to my voice Israel desired none of me

So I let them go after the stubbornness of their hearts That they might walk in their own counsels Oh that my people would listen to me That Israel would walk in my ways I would soon subdue their enemies

And turn my hand against their adversaries The haters of the LORD would cringe before him And their punishment would last forever But he would have also fed them with the finest of the wheat I will satisfy you with honey out of the rock

Sing aloud to God, our strength Make a joyful shout

Listen

Psalms 81 sung by Psalm Selah. The whole Bible, one chapter at a time.

Published 2026-05-22 · Last updated 2026-06-06
Written by Reid Wender, Editorial Director at Psalmody Press