Psalm 80.  Exsultate Deo

God's solemn reproach
"My people, my people, what have I done unto you?"

This Psalm brings to light another picture from the history of Israel.  The people are all assembled for a solemn festival.  The Lord of the Covenant is giving them an urgently appealing sermon, and this is the climax:  "In your hands lie death and life; choose:  life, if you obey―death, if you are faithless like your forefathers."

Christ's death on the Cross shewed that the Jews chose death and final rejection.

The Christian might well picture Christ addressing the same sermon to him from the Cross.  In our hands, too, lie life and death.

Invitation to the festival

Exsultáte Deo, adjutóri nostro: * jubiláte Deo Jacob.
2  Súmite psalmum, et date tympanum: * psaltérium jucúndum cum cíthara.
3  Buccináte in Neoménia tuba, * in insígni die solemnitátis vestræ.
4  Quia præcéptum in Israël est: * et judícium Dei Jacob.

Rejoice unto God our helper; * sing aloud unto the God of Jacob.
2  Take the psalm, bring hither the tabret, * the merry psaltery with the harp.
3  Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, * even in your appointed solemn feast-day.
4  For it has been made a statute in Israel, * and a judgment of the God of Jacob.

Deliverance from Egypt

5  Testimónium in Joseph pósuit illud, cum exíret de terra Ægypti: * linguam, quam non nóverat, audívit.
6  Divértit ab onéribus dorsum ejus: * manus ejus in cóphino serviérunt.
7  In tribulatióne invocásti me, et liberávi te: * exaudívi te in abscóndito tempestátis: probávi te apud aquam contradictiónis.

5  This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he came out of the land of Egypt, * he heard a tongue which he knew not.
6  He removed his back from the burden, * and his hands were a slave unto the baskets.
7  Thou calledst upon me in affliction, and I delivered thee; * I heard thee in the secret place of tempest: I proved thee at the waters of strife.

Covenant on Mt. Sinai

8  Audi, pópulus meus, et contestábor te: * Israël, si audíeris me, non erit in te deus recens, neque adorábis deum aliénum.
9  Ego enim sum Dóminus Deus tuus, qui edúxi te de terra Ægypti: * diláta os tuum, et implébo illud.
10  Et non audívit pópulus meus vocem meam: * et Israël non inténdit mihi.
11  Et dimísi eos secúndum desidéria cordis eórum: * ibunt in adinventiónibus suis.

8  Hear, O my people; and I will testify unto thee, * O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me, there shall no new god be in thee, neither shalt thou worship any strange god.
9  I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt: * open thy mouth wide, and I shall fill it.
10  But my people would not hear my voice; * and Israel hearkened not unto me.
11  So I gave them up unto the desires of their hearts:  * they shall walk in their own imaginations.

Admonitions

12  Si pópulus meus audísset me: * Israël si in viis meis ambulásset:
13  Pro níhilo fórsitan inimícos eórum humiliássem: * et super tribulántes eos misíssem manum meam.
14  Inimíci Dómini mentíti sunt ei: * et erit tempus eórum in sæcula.
15  Et cibávit eos ex ádipe fruménti: * et de petra, melle saturávit eos.

12  If my people had hearkened unto me : * if Israel had walked in my ways :
13  I should soon have put down their enemies, * and turned my hand against their adversaries.
14  The enemies of the Lord have lied unto him; * and their time shall be for ever.
15  And he fed them with the fat of wheat; * and filled them with honey out of the rock.