Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. New Living Translation So I let them follow their own stubborn desires, living according to their own ideas. English Standard Version So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels. Berean Standard Bible So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. King James Bible So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels. New King James Version So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, To walk in their own counsels. New American Standard Bible “So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, To walk by their own plans. NASB 1995 “So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, To walk in their own devices. NASB 1977 “So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, To walk in their own devices. Legacy Standard Bible So I released them over to the stubbornness of their heart, That they would walk in their own devices. Amplified Bible “So I gave them up to the stubbornness of their heart, To walk in [the path of] their own counsel. Christian Standard Bible So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own plans. Holman Christian Standard Bible So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own plans. American Standard Version So I let them go after the stubbornness of their heart, That they might walk in their own counsels. Contemporary English Version So I let you be stubborn and keep on following your own advice. English Revised Version So I let them go after the stubbornness of their heart, that they might walk in their own counsels. GOD'S WORD® Translation So I let them go their own stubborn ways and follow their own advice. Good News Translation So I let them go their stubborn ways and do whatever they wanted. International Standard Version So I allowed them to continue in their stubbornness, living by their own advice. NET Bible I gave them over to their stubborn desires; they did what seemed right to them. New Heart English Bible So I let them go after the stubbornness of their hearts, that they might walk in their own counsels. Webster's Bible Translation So I gave them up to their own hearts lust: and they walked in their own counsels. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleSo I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. World English Bible So I let them go after the stubbornness of their hearts, that they might walk in their own counsels. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd I send them away in the enmity of their heart, "" They walk in their own counsels. Young's Literal Translation And I send them away in the enmity of their heart, They walk in their own counsels. Smith's Literal Translation And I will send him forth in the hardnesses of their heart: they shall go in their counsels. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleSo I let them go according to the desires of their heart: they shall walk in their own inventions. Catholic Public Domain Version New American Bible So I thrust them away to the hardness of their heart; ‘Let them walk in their own machinations.’ New Revised Standard Version So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleSo they walked according to the desires of their own hearts and according to their own counsels. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated But they walked in the desire of their heart and in the counsel of their souls. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917So I let them go after the stubbornness of their heart, That they might walk in their own counsels. Brenton Septuagint Translation So I let them go after the ways of their own hearts: they will go on in their own ways. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Sing for Joy to God, Our Strength…11But My people would not listen to Me, and Israel would not obey Me. 12So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. 13If only My people would listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways,… Cross References Romans 1:24-25 Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another. / They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen. Acts 7:42 But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? Proverbs 1:29-31 For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD. / They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof. / So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. Isaiah 65:2 All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people who walk in the wrong path, who follow their own imaginations, Jeremiah 7:24 Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but they followed the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. Hosea 4:17 Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone! 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. / For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie, / in order that judgment may come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness. Deuteronomy 29:19 because when such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself, saying, ‘I will have peace, even though I walk in the stubbornness of my own heart.’ This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. Ezekiel 20:25-26 I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live. / And I pronounced them unclean through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn in the fire—so that I might devastate them, in order that they would know that I am the LORD. 2 Kings 17:15 They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate. Judges 2:19 But when the judge died, the Israelites became even more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods to serve them and bow down to them. They would not give up their evil practices and stubborn ways. Isaiah 30:1 “Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out a plan that is not Mine, who form an alliance, but against My will, heaping up sin upon sin. Jeremiah 13:10 These evil people, who refuse to listen to My words, who follow the stubbornness of their own hearts, and who go after other gods to serve and worship them, they will be like this loincloth—of no use at all. Matthew 15:14 Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” John 12:40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.” Treasury of Scripture So I gave them up to their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels. I gave Genesis 6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. Acts 7:42 Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? Acts 14:16 Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. their own hearts' lust. they walked Exodus 11:9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt. Isaiah 30:1 Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: Jeremiah 7:24 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. Jump to Previous Counsels Desires Devices Enmity Evil Follow Heart Hearts Lust Purposes Stubborn Stubbornness Walk WalkedJump to Next Counsels Desires Devices Enmity Evil Follow Heart Hearts Lust Purposes Stubborn Stubbornness Walk WalkedPsalm 81 1. An exhortation to a solemn praising of God4. God challenges that duty by reason of his benefits 8. God, exhorting to obedience, complains of their disobedience, which proves their own hurt. So I gave them up This phrase reflects God's response to the persistent disobedience of His people. It echoes the divine judgment seen in Romans 1:24, where God allows individuals to pursue their sinful desires as a form of judgment. This concept is rooted in the idea of free will, where God permits humans to make their own choices, even when those choices lead away from Him. Historically, this reflects periods in Israel's history where they turned away from God, such as during the time of the Judges when "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices Persons / Places / Events 1. GodThe speaker in this verse, expressing His response to the Israelites' disobedience. 2. Israelites The people of God who are being addressed in this Psalm, known for their history of rebellion and idolatry. 3. Stubborn Hearts A metaphorical description of the Israelites' resistance to God's guidance and commandments. 4. Devices Refers to the plans or schemes that the Israelites pursued, which were contrary to God's will. 5. Psalmist Traditionally attributed to Asaph, who is conveying God's message to the people. Teaching Points The Danger of StubbornnessStubbornness in our hearts can lead us away from God's will and into spiritual danger. We must remain open to God's guidance. Consequences of Disobedience When we persist in our own ways, God may allow us to experience the consequences of our choices, which can serve as a wake-up call. God's Patience and Justice While God is patient, there is a point where He allows us to face the results of our rebellion, emphasizing His justice. Self-Examination Regularly examine your heart and motives to ensure they align with God's will, avoiding the pitfalls of self-reliance. Seeking God's Guidance Actively seek God's wisdom and direction in all areas of life to prevent the hardening of your heart. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Psalm 81:12?2. How does Psalm 81:12 illustrate consequences of ignoring God's guidance in our lives? 3. What does "gave them up to their stubborn hearts" reveal about human free will? 4. How can we guard against following our "own devices" as warned in Psalm 81:12? 5. What other scriptures warn about the dangers of self-reliance over God's wisdom? 6. How can we apply Psalm 81:12 to strengthen our daily walk with God? 7. What does Psalm 81:12 reveal about God's response to human stubbornness? 8. How does Psalm 81:12 challenge the concept of free will? 9. What historical context influenced the message of Psalm 81:12? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Psalm 81? 11. Why did God abandon them? 12. Why do 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21 differ in their attribution of who prompted David’s census—God or Satan? 13. Ezekiel 20:25 mentions God giving Israel “statutes that were not good”; how does this align with the concept of a just and unchanging God elsewhere in Scripture? 14. In Psalm 81:13-14, how can we reconcile God's promise to subdue Israel's enemies with historical records of Israel's defeats? What Does Psalm 81:12 Mean So• The word anchors this verse to what precedes it (Psalm 81:8–11), where the LORD pleads, “Hear, O My people… But My people would not listen.” • Scripture routinely links a “so” or “therefore” to the consequences of ignored warnings (2 Chronicles 24:19–20; Proverbs 1:24–26). • God’s action is never arbitrary; it flows from His perfect justice and the prior choices of His people (Deuteronomy 32:18–20). I gave them up • “I gave them up” reveals a deliberate, judicial handing over, not divine abandonment of interest but of restraint (Romans 1:24, 26, 28; Acts 7:42). • This surrender underscores human responsibility: God honors the freedom He grants, even when it leads to ruin (Judges 10:13; Hosea 4:17). • While sobering, the phrase also hints at tough love—discipline intended to expose need and provoke repentance (Psalm 107:11–13; Hebrews 12:6–8). to their stubborn hearts • “Stubborn” hearts are hardened, resistant, and unwilling to bend (Jeremiah 7:24; Zechariah 7:11–12). • Such hardness blinds people to truth and sears the conscience (Ephesians 4:18–19; Mark 3:5). • The Lord’s giving them over highlights that the real enemy is within; unchecked self-will becomes its own punishment (Proverbs 28:14). to follow their own devices • “Devices” speaks of self-made plans, schemes, and desires that replace God’s wisdom (Proverbs 1:30–31; Isaiah 65:2). • When God steps back, people reap what they sow (Galatians 6:7–8), experiencing the bitter fruit of autonomy (Jeremiah 18:12). • Yet even here, grace whispers: recognizing the emptiness of our devices can drive us back to the Shepherd who “satisfies with honey from the rock” (Psalm 81:16). summary Ignoring God’s voice leads to a point where He honors our refusal, removing His restraints and allowing us to chase the stubborn inclinations of our hearts. This handing over is both judgment and merciful warning, exposing the futility of self-rule and inviting us to return to the only source of true freedom and blessing. (12) Lust.--Rather, stubbornness, or perversity, from root meaning "to twist."Verse 12. - So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust. God's Spirit will not always strive with men (Genesis 6:3). After a time, if they persist in evil courses and disobedience to his commands, he "gives them up," withdraws from them, leaves them to themselves, to the "lust," or rather "stubbornness" of their own hearts - to their own perverse wills and imaginations. And they walked in their own counsels (comp. Jeremiah 7:24). This result is inevitable. If God no longer guides their thoughts and enlightens their understandings, they can but follow their own foolish counsels, and the result cannot but be disastrous.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew So I gave them upוָֽ֭אֲשַׁלְּחֵהוּ (wā·’ă·šal·lə·ḥê·hū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out to their stubborn בִּשְׁרִיר֣וּת (biš·rî·rūṯ) Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's 8307: Firmness, stubbornness hearts לִבָּ֑ם (lib·bām) Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre to follow יֵ֝לְכ֗וּ (yê·lə·ḵū) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk their own devices. בְּֽמוֹעֲצוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ (bə·mō·w·‘ă·ṣō·w·ṯê·hem) Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural Strong's 4156: Counsel, plan, principle, device Links Psalm 81:12 NIVPsalm 81:12 NLT Psalm 81:12 ESV Psalm 81:12 NASB Psalm 81:12 KJV Psalm 81:12 BibleApps.com Psalm 81:12 Biblia Paralela Psalm 81:12 Chinese Bible Psalm 81:12 French Bible Psalm 81:12 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Psalm 81:12 So I let them go after (Psalm Ps Psa.) |