81
A psalm written by Asaph for the choir director
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!
2 Start playing the music, and beat the tambourines,
and play nice music on the harps and ◄lyres/other stringed instruments►.
3 Blow the trumpets during the festival to celebrate each new moon
and each time the moon is full and during our other festivals.
4 Do that because that is a law for us Israeli people;
God commanded it for us descendants of Jacob.
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,
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.
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.
(Think about that!)
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!
9 You must not have any idols of other gods among you;
you must never bow to worship any of them!
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.
11 But my people would not listen to me [SYN];
they would not obey me.
12 So even though they were very stubborn,
I allowed them to do whatever they wanted to do.
13 I wish that my people would listen to me,
that the Israeli people would behave as I want them to do.
14 If they did that, I would quickly defeat their enemies;
I would strike/punish all of them [DOU].
15 Then all those who hate me would ◄cringe before/bow down to► me,
and then I would punish them [MTY] forever.
16 But I would give you Israelis very good wheat/grain,
and I would fill your stomachs with wild honey.”