Psalm 81

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!

Start playing the music, and beat the tambourines, and play nice music on the harps and ◄lyres/other stringed instruments►.

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

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

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,

“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.

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. (Think about that!)

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!

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

I am God, 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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