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 

biblegateway Psa 81:5

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 set it up as an ordinance for Joseph when He went throughout the land of Egypt. I heard an unfamiliar language:

These are the instructions God set in place for Joseph when Joseph rose to power over Egypt. I heard a message I did not understand:

biblegateway Psa 81:5

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

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

bibleoremus Psa 81:5

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

laid as a solemn charge on Joseph at the exodus from Egypt. I hear an unfamiliar voice:

biblegateway Psa 81:5

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.

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.

biblegateway Psa 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 

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.