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 on the slopes of the north
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 Yahweh of Hosts,
in the city of our God;
God will establish it forever.(H)Selah

God, within Your temple,
we contemplate Your faithful love.(I)
10 Your name, God, like Your praise,
reaches to the ends of the earth;(J)
Your right hand is filled with justice.(K)
11 Mount Zion is glad.
The towns[a] of Judah 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. Psalm 48:11 Lit daughters
  2. Psalm 48:14 Some Hb mss, LXX; other Hb mss read over death

A song: Lyrics[a] by the Sons of Korah.

Zion, City of God

48 Great is the Lord!
    For he is to be praised greatly,
even in the city of our God,
    his holy mountain.
Beautifully situated,
    the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion towards the north,[b]
    the city of the great King.
Within her citadels
    God is known as a place of refuge.

Behold, when the kings assembled together,
    when they traveled together,
they looked and were awestruck;
    they became afraid and ran away.
Trembling seized them there,
    pains like those of a woman in labor,
as when an east wind destroyed the ships of Tarshish.
Just as we have heard,
    so have we seen;
in the city of the Lord of the heavenly armies—
    even in the city of our God—
        God will establish her forever.
Interlude

God, we have meditated on your gracious love
    in the midst of your Temple.
10 God, according to your name,
    so is your praise to the ends of the earth.
        Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11 Mount Zion will be glad;
    the towns[c] of Judah will rejoice because of your judgments.

12 March around Zion;
    encircle her;
        count her towers.
13 Take note of her ramparts;
    investigate her citadels;
        that you may speak about them to the next generation.
14 For this God is our God forever and ever.
    He will guide us until death.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 48:1 Or A song: A song
  2. Psalm 48:2 Or on the northern side
  3. Psalm 48:11 Lit. daughters