Psalm 115–116

Dead Idols and the Living God

115Not to us, O Yahweh, not to us,

but to your name give glory,

because of your loyal love,

because of your faithfulness.

²Why should the nations say,

“Where, pray tell,^a is their God?”

³But our God is in the heavens;

all that he desires, he does.

⁴Their idols are silver and gold,

the work of human hands.

⁵They have mouths, but cannot speak;

they have eyes, but cannot see;

⁶they have ears, but cannot hear;

they have noses, but cannot smell;

⁷they have their hands, but they cannot feel,

their feet, but they cannot walk;

they cannot utter a sound in their throats.

⁸Those who make them become like them,

as does everyone who trusts in them.

⁹O Israel, trust Yahweh;

he is their help and their shield.

¹⁰O house of Aaron, trust in Yahweh;

he is their help and their shield.

¹¹You who fear Yahweh, trust in Yahweh;

he is their help and their shield.

¹²Yahweh remembers us; he will bless us.

He will bless the house of Israel;

he will bless the house of Aaron.

¹³He will bless those who fear Yahweh,

the small with the great.

¹⁴May Yahweh give you increase,

you and your children.

¹⁵May you be blessed by Yahweh,

who made heaven and earth.

¹⁶The heavens are Yahweh’s heavens,

but the earth he has given to the children of humankind.

¹⁷The dead do not praise Yah,^b

nor any descending into silence.

¹⁸It is we, we will bless Yah^c

from now until forever.

Praise Yah!^d

Thanksgiving for God’s Deliverance

116I love him, because Yahweh has heard

the voice of my supplications.^a

²Because he has inclined his ear to me,

I will call all my days.^b

³The ropes of death encircled me,

and the distresses of Sheol found me.

I found trouble and grief.

⁴Then I called on the name of Yahweh:

“O Yahweh, please save my life!”

⁵Gracious is Yahweh and righteous,

and our God is merciful.

⁶Yahweh watches over the simple.

I was brought low, but he gave me victory.

⁷Return, O my soul, to your repose,

for Yahweh has dealt bountifully with you.

⁸For you have rescued me^c from death,

my eyes^d from tears, my feet from stumbling.

⁹I will walk before Yahweh

in the land^e of the living.

¹⁰I believed when I spoke,

“I am afflicted greatly.”

¹¹I said in my haste,

“Everyone^f is a liar.”

¹²What shall I give back to Yahweh

for all his benefits to me?

¹³I will lift up the cup of salvation

and proclaim the name of Yahweh.

¹⁴I will pay my vows made to Yahweh

in the presence of all his people.

¹⁵Costly in Yahweh’s view^g is

the death of his faithful ones.

¹⁶Ah, Yahweh, I am indeed your servant;

I am your servant, the child of your maidservant.

You have loosed my bonds.

¹⁷I will offer to you a sacrifice of thanksgiving,

and proclaim the name of Yahweh.

¹⁸I will pay my vows made to Yahweh

in the presence of all his people,

¹⁹in the courts of the house^h of Yahweh,

in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.

Praise Yah!ⁱ