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Psalm 115

Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
    but to your name goes all the glory
    for your unfailing love and faithfulness.
Why let the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”
Our God is in the heavens,
    and he does as he wishes.
Their idols are merely things of silver and gold,
    shaped by human hands.
They have mouths but cannot speak,
    and eyes but cannot see.
They have ears but cannot hear,
    and noses but cannot smell.
They have hands but cannot feel,
    and feet but cannot walk,
    and throats but cannot make a sound.
And those who make idols are just like them,
    as are all who trust in them.

O Israel, trust the Lord!
    He is your helper and your shield.
10 O priests, descendants of Aaron, trust the Lord!
    He is your helper and your shield.
11 All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord!
    He is your helper and your shield.

12 The Lord remembers us and will bless us.
    He will bless the people of Israel
    and bless the priests, the descendants of Aaron.
13 He will bless those who fear the Lord,
    both great and lowly.

14 May the Lord richly bless
    both you and your children.
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.
16 The heavens belong to the Lord,
    but he has given the earth to all humanity.
17 The dead cannot sing praises to the Lord,
    for they have gone into the silence of the grave.
18 But we can praise the Lord
    both now and forever!

Praise the Lord!

The Impotence of Idols

115 Not to us, Lord, not to us,
    but to your name be given glory
    on account of your gracious love and faithfulness.
Why should the nations ask
    “Where now is their God?”
when our God is in the heavens
    and he does whatever he desires?

Their idols are silver and gold,
    crafted by human hands.
They have mouths, but cannot speak;
    they have eyes, but cannot see.
They have ears, but cannot hear;
    they have noses, but cannot smell.
They have hands, but cannot touch;
    feet, but cannot walk;
        they cannot even groan with their throats.
Those who craft them will become like them,
    as will all those who trust in them.

Israel, trust in the Lord!
    He is their helper and shield.
10 House of Aaron, trust in the Lord!
    He is their helper and shield.
11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!
    He is their helper and shield.

12 The Lord remembers and blesses us.
    He will indeed bless the house of Israel;
        he will bless the house of Aaron.
13 He will bless those who fear the Lord,
    both the important and the insignificant together.

14 May the Lord add to your numbers—
    to you and to your descendants.
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
    who made the heavens and the earth.
16 The highest heavens[a] belong to the Lord,
    but he gave the earth to human beings.
17 Neither can the dead praise the Lord,
    nor those who go down into the silence of death.[b]
18 But we will bless the Lord
    from now to eternity.

Hallelujah!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 115:16 Lit. heaven of heaven
  2. Psalm 115:17 The Heb. lacks of death