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Psalm 48

The Glory and Strength of Zion

A Song. A Psalm of the Korahites.

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
    in the city of our God.
His holy mountain,(A) beautiful in elevation,
    is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
    the city of the great King.(B)
Within its citadels God
    has shown himself a sure defense.(C)

Then the kings assembled;
    they came on together.(D)
As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;
    they were in panic; they took to flight;(E)
trembling took hold of them there,
    pains as of a woman in labor,
as when an east wind shatters
    the ships of Tarshish.(F)
As we have heard, so have we seen
    in the city of the Lord of hosts,
in the city of our God,
    which God establishes forever. Selah

We ponder your steadfast love, O God,
    in the midst of your temple.
10 Your name, O God, like your praise,
    reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with victory.(G)
11     Let Mount Zion be glad;
let the towns[a] of Judah rejoice
    because of your judgments.(H)

12 Walk about Zion; go all around it;
    count its towers;
13 consider well its ramparts;
    go through its citadels,
that you may tell the next generation(I)
14     that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
    He will be our guide forever.(J)

Footnotes

  1. 48.11 Heb daughters

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—the summit of Zaphon—
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 the Lord of Armies,
in the city of our God;
God will establish it forever.(H)Selah

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