Zion, the City of Our God

A Song. A Psalm of (A)the Sons of Korah.

48 (B)Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
    in (C)the city of our God!
His (D)holy mountain, (E)beautiful in elevation,
    is (F)the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
    (G)the city of the great King.
Within her citadels God
    has made himself known as a fortress.

For behold, (H)the kings assembled;
    they came on together.
As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;
    they were in panic; they took to flight.
(I)Trembling took hold of them there,
    anguish (J)as of a woman in labor.
By (K)the east wind you (L)shattered
    the ships of (M)Tarshish.
As we have heard, so have we seen
    in the city of the Lord of hosts,
in (N)the city of our God,
    which God will (O)establish forever. Selah

We have thought on your (P)steadfast love, O God,
    in the midst of your temple.
10 As your (Q)name, O God,
    so your praise reaches to (R)the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11     Let Mount (S)Zion be glad!
Let (T)the daughters of Judah rejoice
    because of your judgments!

12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
    number her towers,
13 consider well her (U)ramparts,
    go through her citadels,
(V)that you may tell the next generation
14     that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
    He will (W)guide us forever.[a]

Why Should I Fear in Times of Trouble?

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of (X)the Sons of Korah.

49 (Y)Hear this, all peoples!
    Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
(Z)both low and high,
    rich and poor together!
My mouth shall speak (AA)wisdom;
    the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
I will incline my ear to (AB)a proverb;
    I will solve my (AC)riddle to the music of the lyre.

(AD)Why should I fear in (AE)times of trouble,
    when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,
those who (AF)trust in their wealth
    and boast of the abundance of their riches?
Truly no man (AG)can ransom another,
    or (AH)give to God (AI)the price of his life,
for (AJ)the ransom of their life is costly
    and can never suffice,
that he should live on forever
    and (AK)never see the pit.

10 For he sees (AL)that even the wise die;
    (AM)the fool and the stupid alike must perish
    and (AN)leave their wealth to others.
11 Their (AO)graves are their homes forever,[b]
    their dwelling places (AP)to all generations,
    though they (AQ)called lands by their own names.
12 Man in his pomp (AR)will not remain;
    (AS)he is like the beasts that perish.

13 This is the path of those who have (AT)foolish confidence;
    yet after them people approve of their boasts.[c] Selah
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
    death shall be their shepherd,
and the upright (AU)shall rule over them in the morning.
    (AV)Their form shall be consumed (AW)in Sheol, with no place to dwell.
15 But God will (AX)ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
    for he will (AY)receive me. Selah

16 Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,
    when the glory of his house increases.
17 (AZ)For when he dies he will (BA)carry nothing away;
    his glory will not go down after him.
18 For though, while he lives, he counts himself (BB)blessed
    —and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—
19 his soul will (BC)go to the generation of his fathers,
    who will never again (BD)see light.
20 (BE)Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

God Himself Is Judge

A Psalm of (BF)Asaph.

50 (BG)The Mighty One, God the Lord,
    speaks and summons the earth
    (BH)from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Out of Zion, (BI)the perfection of beauty,
    (BJ)God shines forth.

Our God comes; he (BK)does not keep silence;[d]
    before him is a devouring (BL)fire,
    around him a mighty tempest.
(BM)He calls to the heavens above
    and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
“Gather to me my faithful ones,
    who made (BN)a covenant with me by sacrifice!”
(BO)The heavens declare his righteousness,
    for (BP)God himself is judge! Selah

(BQ)“Hear, O my people, and I will speak;
    O Israel, I will testify against you.
    (BR)I am God, your God.
Not for your sacrifices (BS)do I rebuke you;
    your burnt offerings are continually before me.
I will not accept a bull from your house
    or goats from your folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is mine,
    the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 (BT)I know all the birds of the hills,
    and all that moves in the field is mine.

12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
    (BU)for the world and its fullness are mine.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?
14 (BV)Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,[e]
    and (BW)perform your vows to the Most High,
15 and (BX)call upon me in the day of trouble;
    I will (BY)deliver you, and you shall (BZ)glorify me.”

16 But to the wicked God says:
    “What right have you to recite my statutes
    or take my covenant on your lips?
17 (CA)For you hate discipline,
    (CB)and you cast my words behind you.
18 If you see a thief, (CC)you are pleased with him,
    (CD)and you keep company with adulterers.

19 “You give your mouth free rein for evil,
    (CE)and your tongue frames deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother;
    you slander your own mother's son.
21 These things you have done, and I (CF)have been silent;
    you thought that I[f] was one like yourself.
But now I (CG)rebuke you and (CH)lay the charge before you.

22 “Mark this, then, you who (CI)forget God,
    lest I tear you apart, and there be (CJ)none to deliver!
23 The one who (CK)offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
    to one who (CL)orders his way rightly
    I will show the (CM)salvation of God!”

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 48:14 Septuagint; another reading is (compare Jerome, Syriac) He will guide us beyond death
  2. Psalm 49:11 Septuagint, Syriac, Targum; Hebrew Their inward thought was that their homes were forever
  3. Psalm 49:13 Or and of those after them who approve of their boasts
  4. Psalm 50:3 Or May our God come, and not keep silence
  5. Psalm 50:14 Or Make thanksgiving your sacrifice to God
  6. Psalm 50:21 Or that the I am

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