Psalm 81

O Sing aloud this day,
To God our strength and stay:
O make a noise,
Exciting joys
To Jacobs God, I say.
O take a Psalm and sing,
The timbrell hither bring:
The Psalt'rie too
And harp take you,
The harp that pleasant thing:
The trumpet sound withall,
This new Moons festivall:
The time hath thus
Appointed us,
Solemnitie doth call.
A statute this must be,
O Israel kept by thee:
Th'almighty drew,
This law for you,
T'was Jacobs Gods decree.
This was the Lords command,
In Joseph firm to stand:
A Testament
When as he went
Throughout all Aegypt land.
I heard a language there,
All unknown words they were.
The Lord there broke,
The burdenous yoke
Which Israels neck did beare.
His hand from pots were freed,
And in the time of need,
Thou call'dst on mee,
I set thee free,
Deliverance did succeed.
I answered thee with grace,
In thunders secret place,
I prov'd thy way
At Meribah,
Where waters ran apace.

2. part.
HEar ô my people free,
I'l testifie to thee;
O Israel mine,
If thou incline,
And hearken unto mee.
In thee, I say, there shall,
Be no strange God at all;
And never more
Shalt thou adore,
Or on a strange God call.
The Lord thy God am I,
Who brought thee graciously,
With pow'rfull hand
From Aegypt land,
And servile tyrannie.
Thy mouth then open wide,
In pray'r to be suppli'd,
And sure I will
Thy pray'r• fulfill;
But Israel deny'd
They to my voice so free,
Obedient would not be,
And (grief to tell
Of Israel)
He would have none of me.
So I, in judgement just,
Ev'n left them to their lust,
And they fulfill
Their way and will,
In their own counsells trust.
My people, ô that yee
Had hark'ned unto mee:
That Israel
Had walk'd so well,
As after my decree.
I should have soon subdu'd
Their adversaries rude:
And turn'd my hand
Against the band
Of all their enemies lewd.
They that the Lord do hate,
Had bow'd down at his gate:
But Israels time
Had been in prime,
And born eternall date.
He should have made them eat,
The finest of the wheat:
And made the rock
An hony stock,
In plenty very great.