תהילים 81

1 למנצח על הגתית לאסף הרנינו לאלהים עוזנו הריעו לאלהי יעקב׃

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 שאו זמרה ותנו תף כנור נעים עם נבל׃

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

3 תקעו בחדש שופר בכסה ליום חגנו׃

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

4 כי חק לישראל הוא משפט לאלהי יעקב׃

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

5 עדות ביהוסף שמו בצאתו על ארץ מצרים שפת לא ידעתי אשמע׃

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 הסירותי מסבל שכמו כפיו מדוד תעברנה׃

“[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 בצרה קראת ואחלצך אענך בסתר רעם אבחנך על מי מריבה סלה׃

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 שמע עמי ואעידה בך ישראל אם תשמע לי׃

[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 לא יהיה בך אל זר ולא תשתחוה לאל נכר׃

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

10 אנכי יהוה אלהיך המעלך מארץ מצרים הרחב פיך ואמלאהו׃

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 ולא שמע עמי לקולי וישראל לא אבה לי׃

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

12 ואשלחהו בשרירות לבם ילכו במועצותיהם׃

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

13 לו עמי שמע לי ישראל בדרכי יהלכו׃

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

14 כמעט אויביהם אכניע ועל צריהם אשיב ידי׃

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

15 משנאי יהוה יכחשו לו ויהי עתם לעולם׃

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

16 ויאכילהו מחלב חטה ומצור דבש אשביעך׃

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