The Beauty and Glory of Zion.

A Song; a Psalm of the sons of Korah.

48 (A)Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised
In the (B)city of our God, His (C)holy mountain.
(D)Beautiful in elevation, (E)the joy of the whole earth,
Is Mount Zion in the far north,
The (F)city of the great King.
In its palaces,
God has made Himself known as a (G)stronghold.

For, behold, the (H)kings arrived,
They passed by together.
They saw it, then they were amazed;
They were (I)terrified, they fled in a hurry.
[a]Panic seized them there,
Anguish, as that of (J)a woman in childbirth.
With the (K)east wind
You (L)smash the (M)ships of Tarshish.
Just as we have heard, so have we seen
In the city of the Lord of armies, in the city of our God;
God will (N)establish her forever. Selah

We have thought over (O)Your goodness, God,
In the midst of Your temple.
10 As is Your (P)name, God,
So is Your (Q)praise to the ends of the earth;
Your (R)right hand is full of righteousness.
11 Mount (S)Zion shall be glad,
The (T)daughters of Judah shall rejoice
Because of Your judgments.
12 Walk around Zion and encircle her;
Count her (U)towers;
13 Consider her (V)ramparts;
Go through her palaces,
So that you may (W)tell of her to the next generation.
14 For [b]such is God,
Our God forever and ever;
He will (X)lead us [c]until death.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 48:6 Lit Trembling
  2. Psalm 48:14 Lit this
  3. Psalm 48:14 Lit upon; some mss and LXX forever

48 A Song, a Psalm, by sons of Korah. Great [is] Jehovah, and praised greatly, In the city of our God -- His holy hill.

Beautiful [for] elevation, A joy of all the land, [is] Mount Zion, The sides of the north, the city of a great king.

God in her high places is known for a tower.

For, lo, the kings met, they passed by together,

They have seen -- so they have marvelled, They have been troubled, they were hastened away.

Trembling hath seized them there, Pain, as of a travailing woman.

By an east wind Thou shiverest ships of Tarshish.

As we have heard, so we have seen, In the city of Jehovah of hosts, In the city of our God, God doth establish her -- to the age. Selah.

We have thought, O God, of Thy kindness, In the midst of Thy temple,

10 As [is] Thy name, O God, so [is] Thy praise, Over the ends of the earth, Righteousness hath filled Thy right hand.

11 Rejoice doth Mount Zion, The daughters of Judah are joyful, For the sake of Thy judgments.

12 Compass Zion, and go round her, count her towers,

13 Set your heart to her bulwark, Consider her high places, So that ye recount to a later generation,

14 That this God [is] our God -- To the age and for ever, He -- he doth lead us over death!