Psalm 81
Wycliffe Bible
81 To the overcomer, on the pressers, [the psalm] of Asaph. Make ye fully joy to God, our helper; sing ye heartily to God of Jacob. (To the overcomer, at the winepresses, the song of Asaph. Make ye full out joy to God, our helper; sing ye heartily to the God of Jacob.)
2 Take ye a psalm, and give ye a tympan; a merry psaltery with an harp. (Give ye a song, and take ye a drum, or a tambourine; and a merry lute, and a harp.)
3 Blow ye with a trump in the new moon; in the noble day of your solemnity. (Blow ye with a trumpet for the new moon; yea, on the noble day of our solemn feast.)
4 For why (this) commandment is in Israel; and doom is to God of Jacob. (For this is a law in Israel; and this ordinance is from the God of Jacob.)
5 He setted that witnessing in Joseph; when he went out of the land of Egypt, he heard a language, that he knew not. (He put that command on Joseph; when he went out of the land of Egypt. And I heard a language, that I knew not.)
6 He turned away his back from burdens; his hands served in a coffin. (And the Lord said, I took away the burdens from off his back; his hands were delivered from having to carry the baskets.)
7 In tribulation thou inwardly calledest me, and I delivered thee; I heard thee in the hid place of tempest, I proved thee at the water(s) of against-saying. (In trouble thou calledest to me, and I saved thee; I answered thee from my hidden place in the tempest, and I proved thee at the waters of Meribah.)
8 My people, hear thou me, and I shall be witness against thee; Israel, if thou hearest me, (My people, hear thou me, and I shall witness to thee; Israel, if thou wouldest but listen to me,)
9 a fresh God shall not be in thee; and thou shalt not worship an alien god. (there shall be no new god for thee; and thou shalt never worship any foreign, or strange, god.)
10 For I am thy Lord God, that led thee out of the land of Egypt; make large thy mouth, and I shall fill it. (For I am the Lord thy God, who led thee out of the land of Egypt; open thy mouth wide, and I shall fill it.)
11 And my people heard not my voice; and Israel gave not attention to me. (But my people would not listen to my voice; yea, Israel would not give their attention to me.)
12 And I let go them after the desires of their heart; they shall go in their findings. (So I let them go after the desires of their hearts; and they went forth in their own ways.)
13 If my people had heard me; if Israel had gone in my ways. (If my people would but listen to me; if Israel would just follow my ways,)
14 For not in hap I had made low their enemies; and I had sent mine hand on men doing tribulation to them. (then I would bring down their enemies; and I would send forth my hand against those who give them trouble.)
15 The enemies of the Lord lied (down) to him; and their time shall be into worlds. (And then the Lord’s enemies would fall down before me; and their punishment would last forever.)
16 And he fed them with the fatness of wheat; and he [ful]filled them with honey of the stone. (And I would feed you with the fatness of the wheat; and fulfill you with honey from the rocks, that is, with wild honey.)
Psalm 81
King James Version
81 Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
2 Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.
3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
4 For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
5 This 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.
6 I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.
7 Thou 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.
8 Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;
9 There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.
10 I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11 But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.
12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.
13 Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!
14 I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.
15 The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.
16 He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.
2001 by Terence P. Noble