Psalms
Chapter 81
This psalm opens with a call to sing, play instruments, and blow the horn at the festival God commanded for Israel. The music then gives way to God's own voice, reminding the people how he lifted the load off their shoulders in Egypt and answered them in trouble. He tells them to worship no other god, and he says that they did not listen, so he let them go their own way. The psalm ends with God saying what he would still do for them if they would listen: defeat their enemies and feed them the best food.
Plain reading written for preteens. Clear and complete, at about a fifth grade reading level.
Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
1Sing out loud to God, who is our strength. Shout for joy to the God of Jacob.
2Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.
2Begin the song. Bring the tambourine here. Play the sweet harp along with the lyre.
3Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
3Blow the horn when the new moon comes, and again at the full moon, on our feast day.
"Blow up the trumpet" simply means "blow the trumpet." It has nothing to do with exploding. The instrument was a ram's horn.
4For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
4This is a rule for Israel to keep. It is a law given by the God of Jacob.
5This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not.
5God set it up as a reminder for Joseph's family when he went out against the land of Egypt. There I heard a language I did not know.
6I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.
6God says: "I took the heavy load off his shoulder. I set his hands free from carrying the baskets.
"Pots" here means the baskets that slaves in Egypt carried, loaded with clay or bricks.
7Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah.
7You called out when you were in trouble, and I rescued you. I answered you from inside the thundercloud. I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah.
"Selah" is a Hebrew word that was never translated. It seems to be a mark for the musicians, perhaps a pause.
8Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;
8Listen, my people, and I will warn you. Israel, if only you would listen to me!
9There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.
9You must not keep any strange god among you. You must not bow down to any foreign god.
10I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
10I am the LORD your God. I brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.
11But my people would not listen to my voice. Israel wanted nothing to do with me.
12So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.
12So I let them go after whatever their stubborn hearts wanted. They did whatever they decided on their own.
13Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!
13If only my people would listen to me! If only Israel would walk in my ways!
14I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.
14Then I would quickly beat down their enemies. I would turn my hand against the ones who fight them.
15The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.
15Those who hate the LORD would bow down low before him, and their time would last forever.
The end of this verse can be read two ways in Hebrew: Israel's good time lasting forever, or the enemies' punishment lasting forever. The KJV keeps it open.
16He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.
16But I would feed my people the finest wheat. I would fill you up with honey out of the rock."
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