Psalm 81

God answers the prayers of his people

¹Sing with joy to praise God!

He is the one who makes us strong!

Shout aloud to the God of Jacob.

²Start the music! Beat your tambourines !

Make beautiful music on your harps and lyres .

³Start the New Moon Festival

with the sound of the trumpet .

Also do it on the day of the Full Moon.

⁴This is a rule for Israel's people.

The God of Jacob commanded us to do it.

⁵When God punished the land of Egypt,

he gave this rule to Joseph's family.

I heard a voice that I did not know.

⁶It said: ‘I took the heavy load off your back.

You no longer had to carry those heavy baskets.

⁷When you had trouble, you called to me for help

and I made you safe.

I answered your prayers

from the middle of the dark storm.

I tested you at Meribah,

when you had no water in the wilderness .

⁸I said, “My people, listen to me!

I warn you now.

Listen carefully to me, Israel's people!

⁹There must not be any strange god among you.

You must never worship a foreign god.

¹⁰I am the Lord , your God.

I brought you out of the land of Egypt.

Open your mouth wide,

and I will fill it with many good things.”

¹¹But my people refused to listen to me.

My people, Israel, did not obey me.

¹²So I let them follow their own proud ideas.

They could do whatever they wanted to do.

¹³But my people should listen to me!

Yes, Israel should obey my commands!

¹⁴Then I would quickly win against their enemies.

I would attack them all.’

¹⁵(Then people who hate the Lord

would fall down with fear in front of him.

They would be ashamed for ever.)

¹⁶‘But I would feed you, my people, with the best wheat .

I would give you plenty of honey from the rock,

for you to eat and be full.’