Psalms 81:5

He decreed it as a regulation in Joseph, when he attacked the land of Egypt. ¹  I heard a voice I did not recognize. ² 

He established it as a statute for Joseph when he went out against Egypt, where we heard a language we did not understand.

He established it for a testimony in Joseph When he went throughout the land of Egypt. I heard a language that I did not know:

He made it a decree for Israel when he attacked Egypt to set us free. I heard an unknown voice that said,

He commanded Joseph to keep this day so we'd never forget what he did in Egypt. I hear this most gentle whisper from One I never guessed would speak to me:

He gave it to Joseph as a witness, when he went out over the land of Egypt; then the words of a strange tongue were sounding in my ears.

He made it a decree in Joseph, when he went out over the land of Egypt. I hear a voice I had not known:

This He established in Joseph as a testimony, When He went throughout the land of Egypt, Where I heard a language I did not understand.

He decreed it as a regulation in Joseph, when he attacked the land of Egypt. ¹  I heard a voice I did not recognize. ² 

¹ tn Heb “in his going out against the land of Egypt.” This apparently refers to the general time period of Israel’s exodus from Egypt. The LXX reads, “from Egypt,” in which case “Joseph” (see the preceding line) would be the subject of the verb, “when he [Joseph = Israel] left Egypt.”

² tn Heb “a lip I did not know, I heard.” Here the term “lip” probably stands for speech or a voice. Apparently the psalmist speaks here and refers to God’s voice, whose speech is recorded in the following verses.