Psalms 81

1 To the ouercomer in the pressours of Asaph. Make ye fulli ioye to God, oure helpere; synge ye hertli to God of Jacob.

For the music director. On the gittith. A psalm of Asaph. Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob.

2 Take ye a salm, and yyue ye a tympan; a myrie sautere with an harpe.

Start the song! Play the tambourine, sweet-sounding lyre, and harp.

3 Blowe ye with a trumpe in Neomenye; in the noble dai of youre solempnite.

Blow the trumpet at the new moon, and at full moon, to begin our festivals,

4 For whi comaundement is in Israel; and doom is to God of Jacob.

for this is a rule for Israel, a regulation of the God of Jacob.

5 He settide that witnessing in Joseph; whanne he yede out of the lond of Egipt, he herde a langage, which he knew not.

God made this statute for Joseph when he opposed the land of Egypt. I heard a voice I didn't know, saying:

6 He turnede a wei his bak fro birthens; hise hondis serueden in a coffyn.

“I took the load from your shoulders; I freed your hands from carrying heavy baskets.

7 In tribulacioun thou inwardli clepidist me, and Y delyuerede thee; Y herde thee in the hid place of tempest, Y preuede thee at the water of ayenseiyng.

In your suffering you cried out to me, and I saved you. I answered you from the thundercloud. I tested you at the waters of Meribah. (Selah)

8 My puple, here thou, and Y schal be witnesse ayens thee;

My people, listen to my warnings! Israel, please listen to me!

9 Israel, if thou herist me, a fresche God schal not be in thee, and thou schalt not worschipe an alien god.

There must not be a strange god among you; you must never bow down to foreign gods and worship them.

10 For Y am thi Lord God, that ladde thee out of the lond of Egipt; make large thi mouth, and Y schal fille it.

I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

11 And my puple herde not my vois; and Israel yaue not tente to me.

But my people didn't listen to me. Israel didn't want anything to do with me.

12 And Y lefte hem aftir the desiris of her herte; thei schulen go in her fyndyngis.

So I sent them away to follow their stubborn thinking, living as they chose.

13 If my puple hadde herde me; if Israel hadde go in my weies.

If only my people would listen to me; if only Israel would follow my ways!

14 For nouyt in hap Y hadde maad low her enemyes; and Y hadde send myn hond on men doynge tribulacioun to hem.

It wouldn't take me long to conquer their enemies, to strike down their foes.

15 The enemyes of the Lord lieden to hym; and her tyme schal be in to worldis.

Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him, forever doomed.

16 And he fedde hem of the fatnesse of whete; and he fillide hem with hony of the stoon.

But I would feed you the best wheat and satisfy you with honey from the rock.”