Psalms 81

1 For the leader. On the gittith. Of Asaph. Sing aloud to God our strength, shout for joy to the God of Jacob.

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/Israeli people) [worship]!

2 Raise a song, sound the timbrel, sweet lyre and harp.

Start [playing] the music, and beat the tambourines, and play nice music on the harps and (lyres/other stringed instruments).

3 On the new moon blow the horn, at the full moon, the day of our festival.

Blow the trumpets [during the festival to celebrate] each new moon and each time the moon is full and during our [other] festivals.

4 For this is a statute for Israel, a ruling of the God of Jacob,

[Do that] because that is a law for [us] Israeli [people]; God commanded it for us descendants of Jacob.

5 a witness he set up in Joseph, when he marched against Egypt’s land, where he heard an unknown voice say:

He commanded us Israeli [people to obey it] when he punished [the people of] Egypt. I heard someone [MTY] whose voice I did not recognize, saying,

6 “I removed from your shoulder the burden, and freed your hands from the basket.

“[After the rulers of Egypt forced you Israelis 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].

7 At your call of distress I delivered you, from the thundercloud I answered you. At Meribah’s waters I tested you. (Selah)

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.

8 “Listen, my people, to my warning, O Israel, if you would but listen!

[You who are] my people, listen while I warn you! I wish that you Israeli [people] would pay attention to what I [say to you]!

9 There must not be a strange god among you, you must bow to no foreign god.

You must not have any idols of other gods among you; you must never bow to worship any of them!

10 I am the Lord your God who brought you up out of Egypt. Open your mouth, that I fill it.

I am Yahweh, your God; It was [not any of those other gods] who brought you out of Egypt, I am the one who did it! [So] ask me what you want me to do for you [MTY], and I will do it.

11 “But my people did not listen to my voice, Israel would have none of me.

But my people would not listen to me [SYN]; they would not obey me.

12 So to their own hard hearts I left them, to follow their own devices.

So even though they were very stubborn, I allowed them to do whatever they wanted to do.

13 O that my people would listen, that Israel would walk in my ways.

I wish that my people would listen to me, that the Israeli [people] would behave as I want them to do.

14 Soon would I humble their enemies, and turn my hand on their foes.

[If they did that], I would quickly defeat their enemies; I would strike/punish [all of] them [DOU].

15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him in everlasting terror.

[Then all] those who hate me would (cringe before/bow down to) me, and [then I] would punish them [MTY] forever.

16 But you would I feed with the richest wheat, and with honey from the rock to your heart’s desire.”

[But] I would give you [Israelis] very good wheat/grain, and I would fill your stomachs with wild honey.”