Psalm 115
New American Standard Bible
Heathen Idols Contrasted with the Lord.
115 (A)Not to us, Lord, not to us,
But (B)to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy, because of Your [a]truth.
2 (C)Why should the nations say,
“(D)Where, then, is their God?”
3 But our (E)God is in the heavens;
He (F)does whatever He pleases.
4 Their (G)idols are silver and gold,
The (H)work of human hands.
5 They have mouths, but they (I)cannot speak;
They have eyes, but they cannot see;
6 They have ears, but they cannot hear;
They have noses, but they cannot smell;
7 [b]They have hands, but they cannot feel;
[c]They have feet, but they cannot walk;
They cannot make a sound with their throat.
8 (J)Those who make them [d]will become like them,
Everyone who trusts in them.
9 (K)Israel, (L)trust in the Lord;
He is their (M)help and their shield.
10 House of (N)Aaron, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
11 You who [e](O)fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
12 The Lord (P)has 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 (Q)bless those who [f]fear the Lord,
(R)The small together with the great.
14 May the Lord (S)increase you,
You and your children.
15 May you be blessed of the Lord,
(T)Maker of heaven and earth.
16 The heavens are (U)the heavens of the Lord,
But (V)the earth He has given to the sons of mankind.
17 The (W)dead do not praise [g]the Lord,
Nor do any who go down into (X)silence;
18 But as for us, we will (Y)bless [h]the Lord
From this time and forever.
[i]Praise [j]the Lord!
Footnotes
- Psalm 115:1 Or faithfulness
- Psalm 115:7 Lit Their hands
- Psalm 115:7 Lit Their feet
- Psalm 115:8 Or are like them
- Psalm 115:11 Or revere
- Psalm 115:13 Or revere
- Psalm 115:17 Heb Yah
- Psalm 115:18 Heb Yah
- Psalm 115:18 Or Hallelujah!
- Psalm 115:18 Heb Yah
Psalm 115
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 115
The Impotence of Idols and the Greatness of God
1 [a]Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,
for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness.(A)
2 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”(B)
3 Our God is in the heavens;
he does whatever he pleases.(C)
4 Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.(D)
5 They have mouths, but they do not speak;
they have eyes, but they do not see.
6 They have ears, but they do not hear;
they have noses, but they do not smell.
7 They have hands, but they do not feel;
they have feet, but they do not walk;
they make no sound in their throats.
8 Those who make them are like them;
so are all who trust in them.(E)
9 O Israel, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.(F)
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.(G)
12 The Lord has 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 those who fear the Lord,
both small and great.
14 May the Lord give you increase,
both you and your children.(H)
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.(I)
16 The heavens are the Lord’s heavens,
but the earth he has given to human beings.(J)
17 The dead do not praise the Lord,
nor do any who go down into silence.(K)
18 But we will bless the Lord
from this time on and forevermore.
Praise the Lord!(L)
Footnotes
- 115.1 Psalms 114–115 are a single psalm in the earliest witnesses
Psalm 115
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
115 10 I have believed, therefore have I spoken; but I have been humbled exceedingly.
11 I said in my excess: Every man is a liar.
12 What shall I render to the Lord, for all the things he hath rendered unto me?
13 I will take the chalice of salvation; and I will call upon the name of the Lord.
14 I will pay my vows to the Lord before all his people:
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
16 O Lord, for I am thy servant: I am thy servant, and the son of thy handmaid. Thou hast broken my bonds:
17 I will sacrifice to thee the sacrifice of praise, and I will call upon the name of the Lord.
18 I will pay my vows to the Lord in the sight of all his people:
19 In the courts of the house of the Lord, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem.
Psalm 115
The Message
115 1-2 Not for our sake, God, no, not for our sake,
but for your name’s sake, show your glory.
Do it on account of your merciful love,
do it on account of your faithful ways.
Do it so none of the nations can say,
“Where now, oh where is their God?”
3-8 Our God is in heaven
doing whatever he wants to do.
Their gods are metal and wood,
handmade in a basement shop:
Carved mouths that can’t talk,
painted eyes that can’t see,
Tin ears that can’t hear,
molded noses that can’t smell,
Hands that can’t grasp, feet that can’t walk or run,
throats that never utter a sound.
Those who make them have become just like them,
have become just like the gods they trust.
9-11 But you, Israel: put your trust in God!
—trust your Helper! trust your Ruler!
Clan of Aaron, trust in God!
—trust your Helper! trust your Ruler!
You who fear God, trust in God!
—trust your Helper! trust your Ruler!
12-16 O God, remember us and bless us,
bless the families of Israel and Aaron.
And let God bless all who fear God—
bless the small, bless the great.
Oh, let God enlarge your families—
giving growth to you, growth to your children.
May you be blessed by God,
by God, who made heaven and earth.
The heaven of heavens is for God,
but he put us in charge of the earth.
17-18 Dead people can’t praise God—
not a word to be heard from those buried in the ground.
But we bless God, oh yes—
we bless him now, we bless him always!
Hallelujah!
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