114:1 When Israel left Egypt,
when the family of Jacob left a foreign nation behind, 2
114:2 Judah became his sanctuary,
Israel his kingdom.
114:3 The sea looked and fled; 3
the Jordan River 4 turned back. 5
114:4 The mountains skipped like rams,
the hills like lambs. 6
114:5 Why do you flee, O sea?
Why do you turn back, O Jordan River?
114:6 Why do you skip like rams, O mountains,
like lambs, O hills?
114:7 Tremble, O earth, before the Lord –
before the God of Jacob,
114:8 who turned a rock into a pool of water,
a hard rock into springs of water! 7
115:1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us!
But to your name bring honor, 9
for the sake of your loyal love and faithfulness. 10
115:2 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
115:3 Our God is in heaven!
He does whatever he pleases! 11
115:4 Their 12 idols are made of silver and gold –
they are man-made. 13
115:5 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see,
115:6 ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but cannot smell,
115:7 hands, but cannot touch,
feet, but cannot walk.
They cannot even clear their throats. 14
115:8 Those who make them will end up 15 like them,
as will everyone who trusts in them.
115:9 O Israel, trust in the Lord!
He is their deliverer 16 and protector. 17
115:10 O family 18 of Aaron, trust in the Lord!
He is their deliverer 19 and protector. 20
115:11 You loyal followers of the Lord, 21 trust in the Lord!
He is their deliverer 22 and protector. 23
115:12 The Lord takes notice of us, 24 he will bless 25 –
he will bless the family 26 of Israel,
he will bless the family of Aaron.
115:13 He will bless his loyal followers, 27
both young and old. 28
115:14 May he increase your numbers,
yours and your children’s! 29
115:15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
the creator 30 of heaven and earth!
115:16 The heavens belong to the Lord, 31
but the earth he has given to mankind. 32
115:17 The dead do not praise the Lord,
nor do any of those who descend into the silence of death. 33
115:18 But we will praise the Lord
now and forevermore.
Praise the Lord!
116:1 I love the Lord
because he heard my plea for mercy, 35
116:2 and listened to me. 36
As long as I live, I will call to him when I need help. 37
116:3 The ropes of death tightened around me, 38
the snares 39 of Sheol confronted me.
I was confronted 40 with trouble and sorrow.
116:4 I called on the name of the Lord,
“Please Lord, rescue my life!”
116:5 The Lord is merciful and fair;
our God is compassionate.
116:6 The Lord protects 41 the untrained; 42
I was in serious trouble 43 and he delivered me.
116:7 Rest once more, my soul, 44
for the Lord has vindicated you. 45
116:8 Yes, 46 Lord, 47 you rescued my life from death,
and kept my feet from stumbling.
116:9 I will serve 48 the Lord
in the land 49 of the living.
116:10 I had faith when I said,
“I am severely oppressed.”
116:11 I rashly declared, 50
“All men are liars.”
116:12 How can I repay the Lord
for all his acts of kindness to me?
116:13 I will celebrate my deliverance, 51
and call on the name of the Lord.
116:14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
before all his people.
116:15 The Lord values
the lives of his faithful followers. 52
116:16 Yes, Lord! I am indeed your servant;
I am your lowest slave. 53
You saved me from death. 54
116:17 I will present a thank offering to you,
and call on the name of the Lord.
116:18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
before all his people,
116:19 in the courts of the Lord’s temple,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!