Psalms 81; Psalms 82; Psalms 83

1 Shout for joy to God our defender; sing praise to the God of Jacob!

2 Start the music and beat the tambourines; play pleasant music on the harps and the lyres.

3 Blow the trumpet for the festival, when the moon is new and when the moon is full.

4 This is the law in Israel, an order from the God of Jacob.

5 He gave it to the people of Israel when he attacked the land of Egypt. I hear an unknown voice saying,

6 "I took the burdens off your backs; I let you put down your loads of bricks.

7 When you were in trouble, you called to me, and I saved you. From my hiding place in the storm, I answered you. I put you to the test at the springs of Meribah.

8 Listen, my people, to my warning; Israel, how I wish you would listen to me!

9 You must never worship another god.

10 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt. Open your mouth, and I will feed you.

11 "But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not obey me.

12 So I let them go their stubborn ways and do whatever they wanted.

13 How I wish my people would listen to me; how I wish they would obey me!

14 I would quickly defeat their enemies and conquer all their foes.

15 Those who hate me would bow in fear before me; their punishment would last forever.

16 But I would feed you with the finest wheat and satisfy you with wild honey."

1 God presides in the heavenly council; in the assembly of the gods he gives his decision:

2 "You must stop judging unjustly; you must no longer be partial to the wicked!

3 Defend the rights of the poor and the orphans; be fair to the needy and the helpless.

4 Rescue them from the power of evil people.

5 "How ignorant you are! How stupid! You are completely corrupt, and justice has disappeared from the world.

6 "You are gods,' I said; "all of you are children of the Most High.'

7 But you will die like mortals; your life will end like that of any prince."

8 Come, O God, and rule the world; all the nations are yours.

1 O God, do not keep silent; do not be still, do not be quiet!

2 Look! Your enemies are in revolt, and those who hate you are rebelling.

3 They are making secret plans against your people; they are plotting against those you protect.

4 "Come," they say, "let us destroy their nation, so that Israel will be forgotten forever."

5 They agree on their plan and form an alliance against you:

6 the people of Edom and the Ishmaelites; the people of Moab and the Hagrites;

7 the people of Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek, and of Philistia and Tyre.

8 Assyria has also joined them as a strong ally of the Ammonites and Moabites, the descendants of Lot.

9 Do to them what you did to the Midianites, and to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.

10 You defeated them at Endor, and their bodies rotted on the ground.

11 Do to their leaders what you did to Oreb and Zeeb; defeat all their rulers as you did Zebah and Zalmunna,

12 who said, "We will take for our own the land that belongs to God."

13 Scatter them like dust, O God, like straw blown away by the wind.

14 As fire burns the forest, as flames set the hills on fire,

15 chase them away with your storm and terrify them with your fierce winds.

16 Cover their faces with shame, O Lord, and make them acknowledge your power.

17 May they be defeated and terrified forever; may they die in complete disgrace.

18 May they know that you alone are the Lord, supreme ruler over all the earth.