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Zion, the City of God[a]

48 The Lord is great and is to be highly praised
    in the city of our God, on his sacred hill.[b]
(A)Zion, the mountain of God, is high and beautiful;
    the city of the great king brings joy to all the world.
God has shown that there is safety with him
    inside the fortresses of the city.

The kings gathered together
    and came to attack Mount Zion.
But when they saw it, they were amazed;
    they were afraid and ran away.
There they were seized with fear and anguish,
    like a woman about to bear a child,
    like ships tossing in a furious storm.

We have heard what God has done,
    and now we have seen it
    in the city of our God, the Lord Almighty;
he will keep the city safe forever.

Inside your Temple, O God,
    we think of your constant love.
10 You are praised by people everywhere,
    and your fame extends over all the earth.
You rule with justice;
11     let the people of Zion be glad!
You give right judgments;
    let there be joy in the cities of Judah!

12 People of God, walk around Zion and count the towers;
13     take notice of the walls and examine the fortresses,
so that you may tell the next generation:
14     “This God is our God forever and ever;
    he will lead us for all time to come.”

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 48:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by the clan of Korah; a song.
  2. Psalm 48:1 See 2.6.

Psalm 48[a]

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.

Great is the Lord,(A) and most worthy of praise,(B)
    in the city of our God,(C) his holy mountain.(D)

Beautiful(E) in its loftiness,
    the joy of the whole earth,
like the heights of Zaphon[b](F) is Mount Zion,(G)
    the city of the Great King.(H)
God is in her citadels;(I)
    he has shown himself to be her fortress.(J)

When the kings joined forces,
    when they advanced together,(K)
they saw her and were astounded;
    they fled in terror.(L)
Trembling seized(M) them there,
    pain like that of a woman in labor.(N)
You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish(O)
    shattered by an east wind.(P)

As we have heard,
    so we have seen
in the city of the Lord Almighty,
    in the city of our God:
God makes her secure
    forever.[c](Q)

Within your temple, O God,
    we meditate(R) on your unfailing love.(S)
10 Like your name,(T) O God,
    your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;(U)
    your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11 Mount Zion rejoices,
    the villages of Judah are glad
    because of your judgments.(V)

12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
    count her towers,(W)
13 consider well her ramparts,(X)
    view her citadels,(Y)
that you may tell of them
    to the next generation.(Z)

14 For this God is our God for ever and ever;
    he will be our guide(AA) even to the end.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 48:1 In Hebrew texts 48:1-14 is numbered 48:2-15.
  2. Psalm 48:2 Zaphon was the most sacred mountain of the Canaanites.
  3. Psalm 48:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.