Psalms 115

1 Not to us, LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for your loving kindness, and for your truth’s sake.

Yahweh, people should praise [only] you [MTY]; they must praise you, not us, because you faithfully love us and always do what you have promised to do.

2 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God, now?”

It is not right that [RHQ] [other] people-groups should say about us, “[They claim that] their God [is very powerful], but [if that is true], why does he not [help them]?”

3 But our God is in the heavens. He does whatever he pleases.

Our God is in heaven, and he does whatever he wants to!

4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.

[But] their idols are only [statues made of] silver and gold, things that humans have made.

5 They have mouths, but they don’t speak. They have eyes, but they don’t see.

Their idols have mouths, but they cannot say [anything]; they have eyes, but they cannot see [anything].

6 They have ears, but they don’t hear. They have noses, but they don’t smell.

They have ears, but they cannot hear [anything]; they have noses, but they cannot smell [anything].

7 They have hands, but they don’t feel. They have feet, but they don’t walk, neither do they speak through their throat.

They have hands, but they cannot feel [anything]; they have feet, but they cannot walk, and they have throats but cannot [even] make any sounds!

8 Those who make them will be like them; yes, everyone who trusts in them.

The people who make those idols are [as powerless] as those idols, and those who trust in those idols [can accomplish nothing], just like their idols!

9 Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.

You, [my fellow] Israeli people, trust in Yahweh! He is the one who helps you and [protects you like] [MET] a shield.

10 House of Aaron, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.

You priests [MTY], trust in Yahweh! He is the one who helps you and [protects you like] [MET] a shield.

11 You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.

[All] you who revere Yahweh, trust in him! He is the one who helps you and [protects you like] [MET] a shield.

12 The LORD remembers us. He will bless us. He will bless the house of Israel. He will bless the house of Aaron.

Yahweh has not forgotten us; he will bless us Israeli people [MTY]! He will bless the priests,

13 He will bless those who fear the LORD, both small and great.

and he will bless [all] those who revere him; he will bless important [people] and people [who are considered to be] unimportant, [everyone!]

14 May the LORD increase you more and more, you and your children.

I desire that Yahweh will give many children to you [my fellow-Israeli people], and to your descendants.

15 Blessed are you by the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

I desire that Yahweh, the one who made heaven and the earth, will bless [all of] you!

16 The heavens are the LORD’s heavens, but he has given the earth to the children of men.

The [highest] heavens belong to Yahweh, but he gave [everything that is on] the earth to [us] people.

17 The dead don’t praise the LORD, nor any who go down into silence,

Dead [people] are not [able to] praise Yahweh; when they descend into the place where dead people are, they are unable to speak and cannot praise him.

18 but we will bless the LORD, from this time forward and forever more. Praise the LORD!

But we [who are alive] will thank/praise him, now and forever. Praise Yahweh!