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.’ ”

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

I will wipe them from human memory,”

27 had I not feared provocation by the enemy,

lest their adversaries should misunderstand,

lest they should say, “Our hand is triumphant,

it was not the Lord who did all this.” ’

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.

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!” ’

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.’ ”

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.

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.

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!’ ” 

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.’ ”

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.”

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.” ’

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.’ ”

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.” ’