Psalm 115(A)

Not to us, Lord, not to us
    but to your name be the glory,(B)
    because of your love and faithfulness.(C)

Why do the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”(D)
Our God is in heaven;(E)
    he does whatever pleases him.(F)
But their idols are silver and gold,(G)
    made by human hands.(H)
They have mouths, but cannot speak,(I)
    eyes, but cannot see.
They have ears, but cannot hear,
    noses, but cannot smell.
They have hands, but cannot feel,
    feet, but cannot walk,
    nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
Those who make them will be like them,
    and so will all who trust in them.

All you Israelites, trust(J) in the Lord
    he is their help and shield.
10 House of Aaron,(K) trust in the Lord
    he is their help and shield.
11 You who fear him,(L) trust in the Lord
    he is their help and shield.

12 The Lord remembers(M) us and will bless us:(N)
    He will bless his people Israel,
    he will bless the house of Aaron,
13 he will bless those who fear(O) the Lord
    small and great alike.

14 May the Lord cause you to flourish,(P)
    both you and your children.
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven(Q) and earth.

16 The highest heavens belong to the Lord,(R)
    but the earth he has given(S) to mankind.
17 It is not the dead(T) who praise the Lord,
    those who go down to the place of silence;
18 it is we who extol the Lord,(U)
    both now and forevermore.(V)

Praise the Lord.[a](W)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 115:18 Hebrew Hallelu Yah

115 Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.

Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?

But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.

They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:

They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:

They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.

They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.

O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.

10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.

11 Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.

12 The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.

13 He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great.

14 The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children.

15 Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth.

16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.

17 The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.

18 But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord.

29 “Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place,(A) he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the Lord. 30 Also put the Urim and the Thummim(B) in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.

Other Priestly Garments(C)

31 “Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth, 32 with an opening for the head in its center. There shall be a woven edge like a collar[a] around this opening, so that it will not tear. 33 Make pomegranates(D) of blue, purple and scarlet yarn around the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them. 34 The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe. 35 Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he comes out, so that he will not die.

36 “Make a plate(E) of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: holy to the Lord.(F) 37 Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban. 38 It will be on Aaron’s forehead, and he will bear the guilt(G) involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate, whatever their gifts may be. It will be on Aaron’s forehead continually so that they will be acceptable(H) to the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 28:32 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually.

30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the Lord: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually.

31 And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue.

32 And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.

33 And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:

34 A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.

35 And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the Lord, and when he cometh out, that he die not.

36 And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, Holiness To The Lord.

37 And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.

38 And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.

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Thanksgiving and Prayer

I thank my God every time I remember you.(A) In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray(B) with joy because of your partnership(C) in the gospel from the first day(D) until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion(E) until the day of Christ Jesus.(F)

It is right(G) for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart(H) and, whether I am in chains(I) or defending(J) and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify(K) how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer: that your love(L) may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,(M) 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,(N) 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness(O) that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

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I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,

Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,

For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.

For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.

11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

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