Psalm 81 - Easy To Read Version

¹ Be happy and sing to God our strength.\par Shout with joy to the God of Israel.\par

² Begin the music.\par Play the tambourines.\par Play the pleasant harps and lyres. {\cf2\super [463]} \par

³ Blow the ram’s horn\par at the time of the new moon, {\cf2\super [464]} \par Blow the ram’s horn\par at the time of the full moon. {\cf2\super [465]} \par when our holiday begins.\par

⁴ That is a law for the people of Israel.\par God gave that command to Jacob. {\cf2\super [466]} \par

⁵ God made this Agreement with Joseph {\cf2\super [467]} \par when God took him out of Egypt.\par In Egypt we heard that language\par we didn’t understand.\par

⁶ God says,\par “I took the load from your shoulder.\par I let you drop the worker’s basket.\par

⁷ You people were in trouble.\par You called for help\par and I set you free.\par I was hidden in the storm clouds,\par and I answered you.\par I tested you by the water at Meribah.” {\cf2\super [468]} \par \i (SELAH {\cf2\super [469]})\i0 \par

⁸ “My people, listen to me,\par and I will give you my Agreement {\cf2\super [470]} \par Israel, please listen to me!\par

⁹ Don’t worship any of the false gods\par that the foreigners worship.\par

¹⁰ I, the Lord, am your God.\par I brought you out of Egypt.\par Israel, open your mouth,\par and I will feed you.\par

¹¹ “But my people did not listen to me.\par Israel did not obey me.\par

¹² So I let them do what they wanted to do.\par Israel did anything they wanted to do.\par

¹³ If my people would listen to me\par and live the way I want,\par

¹⁴ then I would defeat their enemies.\par I would punish the people\par who bring troubles to Israel.\par

¹⁵ The Lord’s enemies would shake with fear.\par They would be punished forever.\par

¹⁶ God would give the best wheat to his people.\par The Rock {\cf2\super [471]} would give honey to his people\par until they were satisfied.\par