The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 For the Leader. On the gittit. By Asaf: Sing for joy to God our strength! Shout to the God of Ya'akov!
1
<To the chief music-maker; put to the Gittith. Of Asaph.> Make a song to God our strength: make a glad cry to the God of Jacob.
2 Start the music! Beat the drum! Play the sweet lyre and the lute!
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Take up the melody, playing on an instrument of music, even on corded instruments.
3 Sound the shofar at Rosh-Hodesh and at full moon for the pilgrim feast,
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Let the horn be sounded in the time of the new moon, at the full moon, on our holy feast-day:
4 because this is a law for Isra'el, a ruling of the God of Ya'akov.
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For this is a rule for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
5 He placed it as a testimony in Y'hosef when he went out against the land of Egypt. I heard an unfamiliar voice say,
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He gave it to Joseph as a witness, when he went out over the land of Egypt; then the words of a strange tongue were sounding in my ears.
6 "I lifted the load from his shoulder; his hands were freed from the [laborer's] basket.
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I took the weight from his back; his hands were made free from the baskets.
7 You called out when you were in trouble, and I rescued you; I answered you from the thundercloud; I tested you at the M'rivah Spring [by saying,] (Selah)
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You gave a cry in your trouble, and I made you free; I gave you an answer in the secret place of the thunder; I put you to the test at the waters of Meribah. (Selah.)
8 "'Hear, my people, while I give you warning! Isra'el, if you would only listen to me!
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Give ear, O my people, and I will give you my word, O Israel, if you will only do as I say!
9 There is not to be with you any foreign god; you are not to worship an alien god.
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There is to be no strange god among you; you are not to give worship to any other god.
10 I am ADONAI your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth, and I will fill it.'
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I am the Lord your God, who took you up from the land of Egypt: let your mouth be open wide, so that I may give you food.
11 "But my people did not listen to my voice; Isra'el would have none of me.
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But my people did not give ear to my voice; Israel would have nothing to do with me.
12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to live by their own plans.
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So I gave them up to the desires of their hearts; that they might go after their evil purposes.
13 How I wish my people would listen to me, that Isra'el would live by my ways!
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If only my people would give ear to me, walking in my ways!
14 I would quickly subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes.
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I would quickly overcome their haters: my hand would be turned against those who make war on them.
15 Those who hate ADONAI would cringe before him, while [Isra'el's] time would last forever.
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The haters of the Lord would be broken, and their destruction would be eternal.
16 They would be fed with the finest wheat, and I would satisfy you with honey from the rocks."
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I would give them the best grain for food; you would be full of honey from the rock.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.