Psalm 115–116

The One True God

115It does not belong to us, Lord.

The glory belongs to you

because of your love and loyalty.

²Why do the nations ask,

“Where is their God?”

³Our God is in heaven.

He does what he pleases.

⁴Their idols are made of silver and gold,

the work of human hands.

⁵They have mouths, but they cannot speak.

They have eyes, but they cannot see.

⁶They have ears, but they cannot hear.

They have noses, but they cannot smell.

⁷They have hands, but they cannot feel.

They have feet, but they cannot walk.

No sounds come from their throats.

⁸People who make idols will be like them,

and so will those who trust them.

⁹Family of Israel, trust the Lord;

he is your helper and your protection.

¹⁰Family of Aaron, trust the Lord;

he is your helper and your protection.

¹¹You who respect the Lord should trust him;

he is your helper and your protection.

¹²The Lord remembers us and will bless us.

He will bless the family of Israel;

he will bless the family of Aaron.

¹³The Lord will bless those who respect him,

from the smallest to the greatest.

¹⁴May the Lord give you success,

and may he give you and your children success.

¹⁵May you be blessed by the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

¹⁶Heaven belongs to the Lord,

but he gave the earth to people.

¹⁷Dead people do not praise the Lord;

those in the grave are silent.

¹⁸But we will praise the Lord

now and forever.

Praise the Lord!

Thanksgiving for Escaping Death

116I love the Lord,

because he listens to my prayers for help.

²He paid attention to me,

so I will call to him for help as long as I live.

³The ropes of death bound me,

and the fear of the grave took hold of me.

I was troubled and sad.

⁴Then I called out the name of the Lord.

I said, “Please, Lord, save me!”

⁵The Lord is kind and does what is right;

our God is merciful.

⁶The Lord watches over the foolish;

when I was helpless, he saved me.

⁷I said to myself, “Relax,

because the Lord takes care of you.”

⁸Lord, you saved me from death.

You stopped my eyes from crying;

you kept me from being defeated.

⁹So I will walk with the Lord

in the land of the living.

¹⁰I believed, so I said,

“I am completely ruined.”

¹¹In my distress I said,

“All people are liars.”

¹²What can I give the Lord

for all the good things he has given to me?

¹³I will lift up the cup of salvation,

and I will pray to the Lord.

¹⁴I will give the Lord what I promised

in front of all his people.

¹⁵The death of one that belongs to the Lord

is precious in his sight.

¹⁶Lord, I am your servant;

I am your servant and the son of your female servant.

You have freed me from my chains.

¹⁷I will give you an offering to show thanks to you,

and I will pray to the Lord.

¹⁸I will give the Lord what I promised

in front of all his people,

¹⁹in the Temple courtyards

in Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord!