1 ARST Sing songs to praise God, who enables us to be strong when we fight our enemies; shout joyfully to God, whom we descendants of Jacob worship! BSB BSB: For the choirmaster. According to Gittith. Of Asaph. Sing for joy to God our strength; make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob.
2 ARST Start playing the music, and beat the tambourines; play nice music on the harps and lyres. BSB BSB: Lift up a song, strike the tambourine, play the sweet-sounding harp and lyre.
3 ARST Blow the trumpets during the festival to celebrate each new moon, each time the moon is full, and during our other festivals. BSB BSB: Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and at the full moon on the day of our Feast.
4 ARST Do that because that is a decree for us Israelite people; it is a command that God made for the descendants of Jacob. BSB BSB: For this is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
5 ARST He made it a law at the time when God led the descendants of Joseph out of the land of Egypt. I heard a voice I did not recognize, and it said: BSB BSB: He ordained it as a testimony for Joseph when he went out over the land of Egypt, where I heard an unfamiliar language:
6 ARST “After the rulers of Egypt forced you Israelites to work as slaves, I took those heavy burdens off your backs, and I enabled you to lay down those heavy baskets of bricks that you were carrying. BSB BSB: “I relieved his shoulder of the burden; his hands were freed from the basket.
7 ARST When you were greatly distressed, you called out to me, and I rescued you; I answered you out of a thundercloud. Later I tested whether you would trust me to give you water when you were in the desert at Meribah. BSB BSB: You called out in distress, and I rescued you; I answered you from the cloud of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah
8 ARST You who are my people, listen while I warn you! I wish that you Israelite people would pay attention to what I say to you! BSB BSB: Hear, O My people, and I will warn you: O Israel, if only you would listen to Me!
9 ARST You must not have any idols of other gods among you; you must never bow to worship any of them! BSB BSB: There must be no strange god among you, nor shall you bow to a foreign god.
10 ARST I am Yahweh, your God; It was not any of those gods who brought you out of Egypt; I am the one who did it! So request what you want me to do for you, and I will do it. BSB BSB: I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth, and I will fill it.
11 ARST But my people would not listen to me; they would not obey me. BSB BSB: But My people would not listen to Me, and Israel would not obey Me.
12 ARST So because they were very stubborn, I allowed them to do whatever they wanted to do. BSB BSB: So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.
13 ARST I wish that my people would listen to me, that the Israelite people would behave as I want them to do. BSB BSB: If only My people would listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways,
14 ARST If they did that, I would quickly defeat their enemies; I would strike dead those who are oppressing them. BSB BSB: how soon I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes!
15 ARST Then all those who hate me would cringe before me, and then I would punish them forever. BSB BSB: Those who hate the LORD would feign obedience, and their doom would last forever.
16 ARST But I would give you Israelites very good wheat, and I would fill your stomachs with wild honey.” BSB BSB: But I would feed you the finest wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.