26 I said I would scatter them

and erase their name from human memory,

27 but I dreaded the taunt of the enemy,

lest the adversary misunderstand

and say, ‘Our hand has triumphed;

the Lord has not done all this.’ ”

28 They are a nation without sense,

there is no discernment in them.

29 If only they were wise and would understand this

and discern what their end will be!

30 How could one man chase a thousand,

or two put ten thousand to flight,

unless their Rock had sold them,

unless the Lord had given them up?

31 For their rock is not like our Rock,

as even our enemies concede.

26 I said, I would scatter them into corners,

I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men:

27 Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy,

Lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely,

And lest they should say, Our hand is high,

And the Lord hath not done all this.

28 For they are a nation void of counsel,

Neither is there any understanding in them.

29 O that they were wise, that they understood this,

That they would consider their latter end!

30 How should one chase a thousand,

And two put ten thousand to flight,

Except their Rock had sold them,

And the Lord had shut them up?

31 For their rock is not as our Rock,

Even our enemies themselves being judges.

26 I would have annihilated them,

wiping out even the memory of them.

27 But I feared the taunt of Israel’s enemy,

who might misunderstand and say,

“Our own power has triumphed!

The Lord had nothing to do with this!” ’

28 “But Israel is a senseless nation;

the people are foolish, without understanding.

29 Oh, that they were wise and could understand this!

Oh, that they might know their fate!

30 How could one person chase a thousand of them,

and two people put ten thousand to flight,

unless their Rock had sold them,

unless the Lord had given them up?

31 But the rock of our enemies is not like our Rock,

as even they recognize.

26 I would have said, “I will dash them in pieces,

I will make the memory of them to cease from among men,”

27 Had I not feared the wrath of the enemy,

Lest their adversaries should misunderstand,

Lest they should say, “Our hand is high;

And it is not the Lord who has done all this.” ’

28 “For they are a nation void of counsel,

Nor is there any understanding in them.

29 Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this,

That they would consider their latter end!

30 How could one chase a thousand,

And two put ten thousand to flight,

Unless their Rock had sold them,

And the Lord had surrendered them?

31 For their rock is not like our Rock,

Even our enemies themselves being judges.

26 I will scatter them as I said,

and no one will remember them.

27 But I didn’t want their enemy to brag;

their enemy might misunderstand

and say, ‘We have won!

The Lord has done none of this.’ ”

28 Israel has no sense;

they do not understand.

29 I wish they were wise and understood this;

I wish they could see what will happen to them.

30 One person cannot chase a thousand people,

and two people cannot fight ten thousand

unless their Rock has sold them,

unless the Lord has given them up.

31 The rock of these people is not like our Rock;

our enemies agree to that.

26 I said, I would scatter them afar,

I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men;

27 Were it not that I feared the provocation of the enemy,

Lest their adversaries should judge amiss,

Lest they should say, Our hand is exalted,

And Jehovah hath not done all this.

28 For they are a nation void of counsel,

And there is no understanding in them.

29 Oh that they were wise, that they understood this,

That they would consider their latter end!

30 How should one chase a thousand,

And two put ten thousand to flight,

Except their Rock had sold them,

And Jehovah had delivered them up?

31 For their rock is not as our Rock,

Even our enemies themselves being judges.

26 I would say, I will scatter, I will make the remembrance of them to cease from among men, 27 If I did not fear provocation from the enemy, Lest their adversaries should misunderstand it, Lest they should say, Our hand is high, and Jehovah has not done all this. 28 For they are a nation void of counsel, And understanding is not in them. 29 Oh that they had been wise! they would have understood this, They would have considered their latter end! 30 How could one chase a thousand, And two put ten thousand to flight, Were it not that their Rock had sold them, And Jehovah had delivered them up? 31 For their rock is not as our Rock: Let our enemies themselves be judges.

26 I said that I would cut them in pieces 

and erase everyone’s memory of them. 

27 But I didn’t want their enemies to make me angry. 

I didn’t want their opponents to misunderstand and say, 

‘We won this victory! 

It wasn’t the Lord who did all this!’ ” 

28 My people have lost their good sense. 

They are not able to understand. 

29 If only they were wise enough to understand this 

and realize what will happen to them! 

30 How could one person chase a thousand 

or two people make ten thousand flee? 

Their rock used these people to defeat them 

and the Lord gave them no help. 

31 Their rock isn’t like our rock. 

Even our enemies will agree with this. 

26 “I would have said: I will cut them to pieces

and blot out the memory of them from mankind,

27 if I had not feared insult from the enemy,

or feared that these foes might misunderstand

and say: ‘Our own hand has prevailed;

it wasn’t the Lord who did all this.’ ”

28 Israel is a nation lacking sense

with no understanding at all.

29 If only they were wise, they would figure it out;

they would understand their fate.

30 How could one man pursue a thousand,

or two put ten thousand to flight,

unless their Rock had sold them,

unless the Lord had given them up?

31 But their “rock” is not like our Rock;

even our enemies concede.

26 I thought to scatter them

and blot out the memory of them from humankind;

27 but I feared provocation by the enemy,

for their adversaries might misunderstand

and say, “Our hand is triumphant;

it was not the Lord who did all this.”

28 They are a nation void of sense;

there is no understanding in them.

29 If they were wise, they would understand this;

they would discern what the end would be.

30 How could one have routed a thousand,

and two put a myriad to flight,

unless their Rock had sold them,

the Lord had given them up?

31 Indeed their rock is not like our Rock;

our enemies are fools.

26 I thought, “I will wipe them out;

I will make people forget they ever existed.”

27 If I had not feared a provocation of the enemy,

lest their foes might misunderstand,

lest they should say, “Our hand is

triumphant, and Yahweh did not do all this.” ’

28 For they are a nation void of sense,

and there is not any understanding in them.

29 If only they were wise, they would understand this;

they would discern for themselves their end.

30 How could one chase a thousand

and two could cause a myriad to flee,

if their Rock had not sold them,

and Yahweh had not given them up?

31 For the fact of the matter is,

their rock is not like our Rock,

and our enemies recognize this.

26 I said I would scatter them.

I said I would wipe them from human memory.

27 But I was afraid their enemies would make fun of that.

I was afraid their attackers would not understand.

I was sure they would say, ‘We’re the ones who’ve beaten them!

The Lord isn’t the one who did it.’ ”

28 Israel is a nation that doesn’t have any sense.

They can’t understand anything.

29 I wish they were wise. Then they would understand what’s coming.

They’d realize what would happen to them in the end.

30 How could one person chase a thousand?

How could two make ten thousand run away?

It couldn’t happen unless their Rock had deserted them.

It couldn’t take place unless the Lord had given them up.

31 Their rock is not like our Rock.

Even our enemies know that.

26 ‘I would have said, “I will cut them to pieces,

I will remove the memory of them from men,”

27 Had I not feared the provocation by the enemy,

That their adversaries would misjudge,

That they would say, “Our hand is triumphant,

And the Lord has not done all this.” ’

28 “For they are a nation lacking in counsel,

And there is no understanding in them.

29 “Would that they were wise, that they understood this,

That they would discern their future!

30 “How could one chase a thousand,

And two put ten thousand to flight,

Unless their Rock had sold them,

And the Lord had given them up?

31 “Indeed their rock is not like our Rock,

Even our enemies themselves judge this.