Psalms 81

1 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]!

לַמְנַצֵּ֬חַ ׀ עַֽל־הַגִּתִּ֬ית לְאָסָֽף׃ הַ֭רְנִינוּ לֵאלֹהִ֣ים עוּזֵּ֑נוּ הָ֝רִ֗יעוּ לֵאלֹהֵ֥י יַעֲקֹֽב׃

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

שְֽׂאוּ־זִ֭מְרָה וּתְנוּ־תֹ֑ף כִּנֹּ֖ור נָעִ֣ים עִם־נָֽבֶל׃

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

תִּקְע֣וּ בַחֹ֣דֶשׁ שֹׁופָ֑ר בַּ֝כֵּ֗סֶה לְיֹ֣ום חַגֵּֽנוּ׃

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

כִּ֤י חֹ֣ק לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל ה֑וּא מִ֝שְׁפָּ֗ט לֵאלֹהֵ֥י יַעֲקֹֽב׃

5 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,

עֵ֤דוּת ׀ בִּֽיהֹ֘וסֵ֤ף שָׂמֹ֗ו בְּ֭צֵאתֹו עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם שְׂפַ֖ת לֹא־יָדַ֣עְתִּי אֶשְׁמָֽע׃

6 “[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].

הֲסִירֹ֣ותִי מִסֵּ֣בֶל שִׁכְמֹ֑ו כַּ֝פָּ֗יו מִדּ֥וּד תַּעֲבֹֽרְנָה׃

7 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.

בַּצָּרָ֥ה קָרָ֗אתָ וָאֲחַ֫לְּצֶ֥ךָּ אֶ֭עֶנְךָ בְּסֵ֣תֶר רַ֑עַם אֶבְחָֽנְךָ֨ עַל־מֵ֖י מְרִיבָ֣ה סֶֽלָה׃

8 [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]!

שְׁמַ֣ע עַ֭מִּי וְאָעִ֣ידָה בָּ֑ךְ יִ֝שְׂרָאֵ֗ל אִם־תִּֽשְׁמַֽע־לִֽי׃

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

לֹֽא־יִהְיֶ֣ה בְ֭ךָ אֵ֣ל זָ֑ר וְלֹ֥א תִ֝שְׁתַּחֲוֶ֗ה לְאֵ֣ל נֵכָֽר׃

10 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.

אָנֹכִ֨י ׀ יְה֘וָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ הַֽ֭מַּעַלְךָ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם הַרְחֶב־פִּ֝֗יךָ וַאֲמַלְאֵֽהוּ׃

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

וְלֹא־שָׁמַ֣ע עַמִּ֣י לְקֹולִ֑י וְ֝יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לֹא־אָ֥בָה לִֽי׃

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

וָֽ֭אֲשַׁלְּחֵהוּ בִּשְׁרִיר֣וּת לִבָּ֑ם יֵ֝לְכ֗וּ בְּֽמֹועֲצֹותֵיהֶֽם׃

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

ל֗וּ עַ֭מִּי שֹׁמֵ֣עַֽ לִ֑י יִ֝שְׂרָאֵ֗ל בִּדְרָכַ֥י יְהַלֵּֽכוּ׃

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

כִּ֭מְעַט אֹויְבֵיהֶ֣ם אַכְנִ֑יעַ וְעַ֥ל צָ֝רֵיהֶ֗ם אָשִׁ֥יב יָדִֽי׃

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

מְשַׂנְאֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה יְכַֽחֲשׁוּ־לֹ֑ו וִיהִ֖י עִתָּ֣ם לְעֹולָֽם׃

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

וֽ͏ַ֭יַּאֲכִילֵהוּ מֵחֵ֣לֶב חִטָּ֑ה וּ֝מִצּ֗וּר דְּבַ֣שׁ אַשְׂבִּיעֶֽךָ׃