< Psalms 115 >
1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name be the glory, because of Your loving devotion, because of Your faithfulness.
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?”
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 Our God is in heaven; He does as He pleases.
Our God is in heaven, and he does whatever he wants to!
4 Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.
[But] their idols are only [statues made of] silver and gold, things that humans have made.
5 They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see;
Their idols have mouths, but they cannot say [anything]; they have eyes, but they cannot see [anything].
6 they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell;
They have ears, but they cannot hear [anything]; they have noses, but they cannot smell [anything].
7 they have hands, but cannot feel; they have feet, but cannot walk; they cannot even clear their throats.
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 become like them, as do all who trust 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 O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and shield.
You, [my fellow] Israeli people, trust in Yahweh! He is the one who helps you and [protects you like] [MET] a shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD! He is their help and 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 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 is mindful of 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— small and great alike.
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 give you increase, both you and your children.
I desire that Yahweh will give many children to you [my fellow-Israeli people], and to your descendants.
15 May you be blessed by the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
I desire that Yahweh, the one who made heaven and the earth, will bless [all of] you!
16 The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth He has given to mankind.
The [highest] heavens belong to Yahweh, but he gave [everything that is on] the earth to [us] people.
17 It is not the dead who praise the LORD, nor any who descend 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 it is we who will bless the LORD, both now and forevermore. Hallelujah!
But we [who are alive] will thank/praise him, now and forever. Praise Yahweh!