Psalm 47-49
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 47
God’s Rule over the Nations
To the leader. Of the Korahites. A Psalm.
1 Clap your hands, all you peoples;
shout to God with loud songs of joy.(A)
2 For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome,
a great king over all the earth.(B)
3 He subdued peoples under us
and nations under our feet.(C)
4 He chose our heritage for us,
the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah(D)
5 God has gone up with a shout,
the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.(E)
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.(F)
7 For God is the king of all the earth;
sing praises with a psalm.[a](G)
8 God is king over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.(H)
9 The princes of the peoples gather
as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
he is highly exalted.(I)
Psalm 48
The Glory and Strength of Zion
A Song. A Psalm of the Korahites.
1 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain,(J) 2 beautiful in elevation,
is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
the city of the great King.(K)
3 Within its citadels God
has shown himself a sure defense.(L)
4 Then the kings assembled;
they came on together.(M)
5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;
they were in panic; they took to flight;(N)
6 trembling took hold of them there,
pains as of a woman in labor,
7 as when an east wind shatters
the ships of Tarshish.(O)
8 As we have heard, so have we seen
in the city of the Lord of hosts,
in the city of our God,
which God establishes forever. Selah
9 We ponder your steadfast love, O God,
in the midst of your temple.
10 Your name, O God, like your praise,
reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with victory.(P)
11 Let Mount Zion be glad;
let the towns[b] of Judah rejoice
because of your judgments.(Q)
12 Walk about Zion; go all around it;
count its towers;
13 consider well its ramparts;
go through its citadels,
that you may tell the next generation(R)
14 that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
He will be our guide forever.(S)
Psalm 49
The Folly of Trust in Riches
To the leader. Of the Korahites. A Psalm.
1 Hear this, all you peoples;
give ear, all inhabitants of the world,(T)
2 both low and high,
rich and poor together.
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom;
the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.(U)
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp.(V)
5 Why should I fear in times of trouble,
when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,(W)
6 those who trust in their wealth
and boast of the abundance of their riches?(X)
7 Truly, no ransom avails for one’s life;[c]
there is no price one can give to God for it.(Y)
8 For the ransom of life is costly
and can never suffice,(Z)
9 that one should live on forever
and never see the Pit.(AA)
10 When we look at the wise, they die;
fool and dolt perish together
and leave their wealth to others.(AB)
11 Their graves[d] are their homes forever,
their dwelling places to all generations,
though they named lands their own.(AC)
12 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp;
they are like the animals that perish.(AD)
13 Such is the fate of the foolhardy,
the end of those[e] who are pleased with their lot. Selah(AE)
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
Death shall be their shepherd;
straight to the grave they descend,[f]
and their form shall waste away;
Sheol shall be their home.[g](AF)
15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will receive me. Selah(AG)
16 Do not be afraid when some become rich,
when the wealth of their houses increases.(AH)
17 For when they die they will carry nothing away;
their wealth will not go down after them.(AI)
18 Though in their lifetime they count themselves happy
—for you are praised when you do well for yourself—(AJ)
19 they[h] will go to the company of their ancestors,
who will never again see the light.(AK)
20 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp;
they are like the animals that perish.(AL)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.