Psalm 48

Zion Exalted

A song. A psalm of the sons of Korah.

The Lord is great and highly praised
in the city of our God.(A)
His holy mountain, rising splendidly,
is the joy of the whole earth.
Mount Zion—the summit of Zaphon—
is the city of the great King.(B)
God is known as a stronghold
in its citadels.(C)

Look! The kings assembled;
they advanced together.(D)
They looked and froze with fear;
they fled in terror.(E)
Trembling seized them there,
agony like that of a woman in labor,(F)
as you wrecked the ships of Tarshish
with the east wind.(G)

Just as we heard, so we have seen
in the city of the Lord of Armies,
in the city of our God;
God will establish it forever.(H)Selah

God, within your temple,
we contemplate your faithful love.(I)
10 Like your name, God, so your praise
reaches to the ends of the earth;(J)
your right hand is filled with justice.(K)
11 Mount Zion is glad.
Judah’s villages[a] rejoice
because of your judgments.(L)

12 Go around Zion, encircle it;
count its towers,
13 note its ramparts; tour its citadels
so that you can tell a future generation:(M)
14 “This God, our God forever and ever—
he will always lead us.”[b](N)

Footnotes

  1. 48:11 Lit daughters
  2. 48:14 Some Hb mss, LXX; other Hb mss read over death

Psalm 48

A song. A psalm of the Korahites.

48 In the city belonging to our God,
    the Lord is great and so worthy of praise!
His holy mountain is a beautiful summit,
    the joy of the whole world.
    Mount Zion, in the far north,
    is the city of the great king.
God is in its fortifications,
    revealing himself as a place of safety.

Look: the kings assembled themselves,
    advancing all together—
    when they saw it, they were stunned;
    they panicked and ran away frightened.
Trembling took hold of them right there—
    like a woman giving birth,
    or like the east wind when it smashes
    the ships of Tarshish.
Just like we had heard,
    now we’ve seen it for ourselves
    in the city of the Lord of heavenly forces,
    in the city of our God.
        May God make it secure forever! Selah

We dwell on your faithful love, God,
    in your temple.
10 Your praise, God, just like your reputation,
    extends to the far corners of the earth.
        Your strong hand is filled with righteousness.
11 Let Mount Zion be glad;
    let the towns of Judah rejoice
        because of your acts of justice!

12 Walk around Zion;
    go all the way around it;
    count its towers.
13 Examine its defenses closely;
    tour its fortifications
    so that you may tell future generations:
14 “This is God,
    our God, forever and always!
    He is the one who will lead us
    even to the very end.”[a]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 48:14 LXX; Heb uncertain; Heb al muth (unto death or against death), but see the notes at Pss 9–10, 46—the words might belong in the heading of Ps 49.