Psalms 115:8-18

Context

115:8 Those who make them will end up¹ like them,

as will everyone who trusts in them.

115:9 O Israel, trust in the Lord!

He is their deliverer² and protector.³

115:10 O family⁴ of Aaron, trust in the Lord!

He is their deliverer⁵ and protector.⁶

115:11 You loyal followers of the Lord,⁷ trust in the Lord!

He is their deliverer⁸ and protector.⁹

115:12 The Lord takes notice of us,¹⁰ he will bless¹¹ –

he will bless the family¹² of Israel,

he will bless the family of Aaron.

115:13 He will bless his loyal followers,¹³

both young and old.¹⁴

115:14 May he increase your numbers,

yours and your children’s!¹⁵

115:15 May you be blessed by the Lord,

the creator¹⁶ of heaven and earth!

115:16 The heavens belong to the Lord,¹⁷

but the earth he has given to mankind.¹⁸

115:17 The dead do not praise the Lord,

nor do any of those who descend into the silence of death.¹⁹

115:18 But we will praise the Lord

now and forevermore.

Praise the Lord!

[115:8] ¹tn Heb “will be.” Another option is to take the prefixed verbal form as a prayer, “may those who make them end up like them.”

[115:9] ²tn Or “[source of] help.”

[115:9] ³tn Heb “and their shield.”

[115:10] ⁴tn Heb “house.”

[115:10] ⁵tn Or “[source of] help.”

[115:10] ⁶tn Heb “and their shield.”

[115:11] ⁷tn Heb “[you] fearers of the Lord.” See Ps 15:4.

[115:11] ⁸tn Or “[source of] help.”

[115:11] ⁹tn Heb “and their shield.”

[115:12] ¹⁰tn Or “remembers us.”

[115:12] ¹¹tn Another option is to translate the prefixed form of the verb “bless” in vv. 12-13 as a jussive, “may he bless” (see v. 14).

[115:12] ¹²tn Heb “house.”

[115:13] ¹³tn Heb “the fearers of the Lord.”

[115:13] ¹⁴tn Heb “the small along with the great.” The translation assumes that “small” and “great” here refer to age (see 2 Chr 15:13). Another option is to translate “both the insignificant and the prominent” (see Job 3:19; cf. NEB “high and low alike”).

[115:14] ¹⁵tn Heb “may he add to you, to you and your sons.” The prefixed verbal form is jussive, indicating this is a prayer.

[115:15] ¹⁶tn Or “maker.”

[115:16] ¹⁷tn Heb “the heavens [are] heavens to the Lord.”

[115:16] ¹⁸tn Heb “to the sons of man.”

[115:17] ¹⁹tn Heb “silence,” a metonymy here for death (see Ps 94:17).