1: A song to our strong God! a shout to the God of Jacob!
2: Anthems from the choir, music from the band, sweet sounds from lute and harp,
3: Trumpets and trombones and horns: it's festival day, a feast to God!
4: A day decreed by God, solemnly ordered by the God of Jacob.
5: He commanded Joseph to keep this day so we'd never forget what he did in Egypt. I hear this most gentle whisper from One I never guessed would speak to me:
6: "I took the world off your shoulders, freed you from a life of hard labor.
7: You called to me in your pain; I got you out of a bad place. I answered you from where the thunder hides, I proved you at Meribah Fountain.
8: "Listen, dear ones--get this straight; O Israel, don't take this lightly.
9: Don't take up with strange gods, don't worship the latest in gods.
10: I'm GOD, your God, the very God who rescued you from doom in Egypt, Then fed you all you could eat, filled your hungry stomachs.
11: "But my people didn't listen, Israel paid no attention;
12: So I let go of the reins and told them, "Run! Do it your own way!'
13: "Oh, dear people, will you listen to me now? Israel, will you follow my map?
14: I'll make short work of your enemies, give your foes the back of my hand.
15: I'll send the GOD-haters cringing like dogs, never to be heard from again.
16: You'll feast on my fresh-baked bread spread with butter and rock-pure honey." An Asaph psalm