Psalm 45-48

English Standard Version

Your Throne, O God, Is Forever

To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Maskil^[a] of ^(A)the Sons of Korah; a love song.

45 My heart overflows with a pleasing theme;
I address my verses to the king;
my tongue is like the pen of ^(B)a ready scribe.

²You are ^(C)the most handsome of the sons of men;
    ^(D)grace is poured upon your lips;
    therefore God has blessed you forever.
³^(E)Gird your ^(F)sword on your thigh, O ^(G)mighty one,
    in ^(H)your splendor and majesty!

⁴In your majesty ^(I)ride out victoriously
    for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness;
    let your right hand teach you ^(J)awesome deeds!
⁵Your arrows are sharp
    in the heart of the king's enemies;
    the peoples fall under you.

⁶^(K)Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.
    The ^(L)scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;
⁷    ^(M)you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Therefore ^(N)God, your God, has ^(O)anointed you
    with the oil of ^(P)gladness ^(Q)beyond your companions;
⁸    your robes are all fragrant with ^(R)myrrh and aloes and cassia.
From ivory palaces ^(S)stringed instruments make you glad;
⁹    daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor;
    ^(T)at your right hand stands the queen in ^(U)gold of Ophir.

¹⁰Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear:
    forget your people and your father's house,
¹¹    and the king will desire your beauty.
Since he is your ^(V)lord, ^(W)bow to him.
¹²    The people^[b] of Tyre will ^(X)seek your favor with ^(Y)gifts,
    ^(Z)the richest of the people.^[c]

¹³All glorious is ^(AA)the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold.
¹⁴    ^(AB)In many-colored robes ^(AC)she is led to the king,
    with her virgin companions following behind her.
¹⁵With joy and gladness they are led along
    as they enter the palace of the king.

¹⁶In place of your fathers shall be your sons;
you will make them ^(AD)princes in all the earth.
¹⁷^(AE)I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations;
therefore nations will praise you forever and ever.

God Is Our Fortress

To the choirmaster. Of ^(AF)the Sons of Korah. According to ^(AG)Alamoth.^[d] A Song.

46 God is our ^(AH)refuge and strength,
    a very ^(AI)present^[e] help in ^(AJ)trouble.
²Therefore we will not fear ^(AK)though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into ^(AL)the heart of the sea,
³though ^(AM)its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

⁴There is ^(AN)a river whose streams make glad ^(AO)the city of God,
    the holy ^(AP)habitation of the Most High.
⁵^(AQ)God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
⁶^(AR)The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he ^(AS)utters his voice, the earth ^(AT)melts.
⁷^(AU)The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

⁸^(AV)Come, behold the works of the Lord,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
⁹^(AW)He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he ^(AX)breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    ^(AY)he burns the chariots with fire.
¹⁰^(AZ)“Be still, and know that I am God.
    ^(BA)I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
¹¹^(BB)The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

God Is King over All the Earth

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of ^(BC)the Sons of Korah.

47 ^(BD)Clap your hands, all peoples!
    ^(BE)Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
²For the Lord, the Most High, ^(BF)is to be feared,
    ^(BG)a great king over all the earth.
³He ^(BH)subdued peoples under us,
    and nations under our feet.
⁴He chose our ^(BI)heritage for us,
    ^(BJ)the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah

⁵God ^(BK)has gone up with a shout,
    the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
⁶Sing praises to God, sing praises!
    Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
⁷For God is ^(BL)the King of all the earth;
    sing praises ^(BM)with a psalm!^[f]

⁸God ^(BN)reigns over the nations;
    God sits on his holy throne.
⁹^(BO)The princes of the peoples gather
    as the people of the God of Abraham.
For ^(BP)the shields of the earth belong to God;
    he is highly exalted!

Zion, the City of Our God

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

48 ^(BR)Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
    in ^(BS)the city of our God!
His ^(BT)holy mountain, ²^(BU)beautiful in elevation,
    is ^(BV)the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
    ^(BW)the city of the great King.
³Within her citadels God
    has made himself known as a fortress.

⁴For behold, ^(BX)the kings assembled;
    they came on together.
⁵As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;
    they were in panic; they took to flight.
⁶^(BY)Trembling took hold of them there,
    anguish ^(BZ)as of a woman in labor.
⁷By ^(CA)the east wind you ^(CB)shattered
    the ships of ^(CC)Tarshish.
⁸As we have heard, so have we seen
    in the city of the Lord of hosts,
in ^(CD)the city of our God,
    which God will ^(CE)establish forever. Selah

⁹We have thought on your ^(CF)steadfast love, O God,
    in the midst of your temple.
¹⁰As your ^(CG)name, O God,
    so your praise reaches to ^(CH)the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
¹¹    Let Mount ^(CI)Zion be glad!
Let ^(CJ)the daughters of Judah rejoice
    because of your judgments!

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

Footnotes

Psalm 45:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
Psalm 45:12 Hebrew daughter
Psalm 45:12 Or The daughter of Tyre is here with gifts, the richest of people seek your favor
Psalm 46:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
Psalm 46:1 Or well proved
Psalm 47:7 Hebrew maskil
Psalm 48:14 Septuagint; another reading is (compare Jerome, Syriac) He will guide us beyond death