God Is Our Fortress

To the choirmaster. Of (A)the Sons of Korah. According to (B)Alamoth.[a] A Song.

46 God is our (C)refuge and strength,
    a very (D)present[b] help in (E)trouble.
Therefore we will not fear (F)though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into (G)the heart of the sea,
though (H)its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

There is (I)a river whose streams make glad (J)the city of God,
    the holy (K)habitation of the Most High.
(L)God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
(M)The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he (N)utters his voice, the earth (O)melts.
(P)The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

(Q)Come, behold the works of the Lord,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
(R)He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he (S)breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    (T)he burns the chariots with fire.
10 (U)“Be still, and know that I am God.
    (V)I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 (W)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 (X)the Sons of Korah.

47 (Y)Clap your hands, all peoples!
    (Z)Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High, (AA)is to be feared,
    (AB)a great king over all the earth.
He (AC)subdued peoples under us,
    and nations under our feet.
He chose our (AD)heritage for us,
    (AE)the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah

God (AF)has gone up with a shout,
    the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
Sing praises to God, sing praises!
    Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
For God is (AG)the King of all the earth;
    sing praises (AH)with a psalm![c]

God (AI)reigns over the nations;
    God sits on his holy throne.
(AJ)The princes of the peoples gather
    as the people of the God of Abraham.
For (AK)the shields of the earth belong to God;
    he is highly exalted!

Zion, the City of Our God

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

48 (AM)Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
    in (AN)the city of our God!
His (AO)holy mountain, (AP)beautiful in elevation,
    is (AQ)the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
    (AR)the city of the great King.
Within her citadels God
    has made himself known as a fortress.

For behold, (AS)the kings assembled;
    they came on together.
As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;
    they were in panic; they took to flight.
(AT)Trembling took hold of them there,
    anguish (AU)as of a woman in labor.
By (AV)the east wind you (AW)shattered
    the ships of (AX)Tarshish.
As we have heard, so have we seen
    in the city of the Lord of hosts,
in (AY)the city of our God,
    which God will (AZ)establish forever. Selah

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

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

Why Should I Fear in Times of Trouble?

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

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

(BO)Why should I fear in (BP)times of trouble,
    when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,
those who (BQ)trust in their wealth
    and boast of the abundance of their riches?
Truly no man (BR)can ransom another,
    or (BS)give to God (BT)the price of his life,
for (BU)the ransom of their life is costly
    and can never suffice,
that he should live on forever
    and (BV)never see the pit.

10 For he sees (BW)that even the wise die;
    (BX)the fool and the stupid alike must perish
    and (BY)leave their wealth to others.
11 Their (BZ)graves are their homes forever,[e]
    their dwelling places (CA)to all generations,
    though they (CB)called lands by their own names.
12 Man in his pomp (CC)will not remain;
    (CD)he is like the beasts that perish.

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

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

God Himself Is Judge

A Psalm of (CQ)Asaph.

50 (CR)The Mighty One, God the Lord,
    speaks and summons the earth
    (CS)from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Out of Zion, (CT)the perfection of beauty,
    (CU)God shines forth.

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

(DB)“Hear, O my people, and I will speak;
    O Israel, I will testify against you.
    (DC)I am God, your God.
Not for your sacrifices (DD)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 (DE)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,
    (DF)for the world and its fullness are mine.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?
14 (DG)Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,[h]
    and (DH)perform your vows to the Most High,
15 and (DI)call upon me in the day of trouble;
    I will (DJ)deliver you, and you shall (DK)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 (DL)For you hate discipline,
    (DM)and you cast my words behind you.
18 If you see a thief, (DN)you are pleased with him,
    (DO)and you keep company with adulterers.

19 “You give your mouth free rein for evil,
    (DP)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 (DQ)have been silent;
    you thought that I[i] was one like yourself.
But now I (DR)rebuke you and (DS)lay the charge before you.

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

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 46:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  2. Psalm 46:1 Or well proved
  3. Psalm 47:7 Hebrew maskil
  4. Psalm 48:14 Septuagint; another reading is (compare Jerome, Syriac) He will guide us beyond death
  5. Psalm 49:11 Septuagint, Syriac, Targum; Hebrew Their inward thought was that their homes were forever
  6. Psalm 49:13 Or and of those after them who approve of their boasts
  7. Psalm 50:3 Or May our God come, and not keep silence
  8. Psalm 50:14 Or Make thanksgiving your sacrifice to God
  9. Psalm 50:21 Or that the I am

Psalm 46[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth.[b] A song.

God is our refuge(A) and strength,(B)
    an ever-present(C) help(D) in trouble.(E)
Therefore we will not fear,(F) though the earth give way(G)
    and the mountains fall(H) into the heart of the sea,(I)
though its waters roar(J) and foam(K)
    and the mountains quake(L) with their surging.[c]

There is a river(M) whose streams(N) make glad the city of God,(O)
    the holy place where the Most High(P) dwells.(Q)
God is within her,(R) she will not fall;(S)
    God will help(T) her at break of day.
Nations(U) are in uproar,(V) kingdoms(W) fall;
    he lifts his voice,(X) the earth melts.(Y)

The Lord Almighty(Z) is with us;(AA)
    the God of Jacob(AB) is our fortress.(AC)

Come and see what the Lord has done,(AD)
    the desolations(AE) he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars(AF) cease
    to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow(AG) and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields[d] with fire.(AH)
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;(AI)
    I will be exalted(AJ) among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

11 The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob(AK) is our fortress.(AL)

Psalm 47[e]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

Clap your hands,(AM) all you nations;
    shout to God with cries of joy.(AN)

For the Lord Most High(AO) is awesome,(AP)
    the great King(AQ) over all the earth.
He subdued(AR) nations under us,
    peoples under our feet.
He chose our inheritance(AS) for us,
    the pride of Jacob,(AT) whom he loved.[f]

God has ascended(AU) amid shouts of joy,(AV)
    the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.(AW)
Sing praises(AX) to God, sing praises;
    sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the King of all the earth;(AY)
    sing to him a psalm(AZ) of praise.

God reigns(BA) over the nations;
    God is seated on his holy throne.(BB)
The nobles of the nations assemble
    as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings[g] of the earth belong to God;(BC)
    he is greatly exalted.(BD)

Psalm 48[h]

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.

Great is the Lord,(BE) and most worthy of praise,(BF)
    in the city of our God,(BG) his holy mountain.(BH)

Beautiful(BI) in its loftiness,
    the joy of the whole earth,
like the heights of Zaphon[i](BJ) is Mount Zion,(BK)
    the city of the Great King.(BL)
God is in her citadels;(BM)
    he has shown himself to be her fortress.(BN)

When the kings joined forces,
    when they advanced together,(BO)
they saw her and were astounded;
    they fled in terror.(BP)
Trembling seized(BQ) them there,
    pain like that of a woman in labor.(BR)
You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish(BS)
    shattered by an east wind.(BT)

As we have heard,
    so we have seen
in the city of the Lord Almighty,
    in the city of our God:
God makes her secure
    forever.[j](BU)

Within your temple, O God,
    we meditate(BV) on your unfailing love.(BW)
10 Like your name,(BX) O God,
    your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;(BY)
    your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11 Mount Zion rejoices,
    the villages of Judah are glad
    because of your judgments.(BZ)

12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
    count her towers,(CA)
13 consider well her ramparts,(CB)
    view her citadels,(CC)
that you may tell of them
    to the next generation.(CD)

14 For this God is our God for ever and ever;
    he will be our guide(CE) even to the end.

Psalm 49[k]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

Hear(CF) this, all you peoples;(CG)
    listen, all who live in this world,(CH)
both low and high,(CI)
    rich and poor alike:
My mouth will speak words of wisdom;(CJ)
    the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.(CK)
I will turn my ear to a proverb;(CL)
    with the harp(CM) I will expound my riddle:(CN)

Why should I fear(CO) when evil days come,
    when wicked deceivers surround me—
those who trust in their wealth(CP)
    and boast(CQ) of their great riches?(CR)
No one can redeem the life of another
    or give to God a ransom for them—
the ransom(CS) for a life is costly,
    no payment is ever enough—(CT)
so that they should live on(CU) forever
    and not see decay.(CV)
10 For all can see that the wise die,(CW)
    that the foolish and the senseless(CX) also perish,
    leaving their wealth(CY) to others.(CZ)
11 Their tombs(DA) will remain their houses[l] forever,
    their dwellings for endless generations,(DB)
    though they had[m] named(DC) lands after themselves.

12 People, despite their wealth, do not endure;(DD)
    they are like the beasts that perish.(DE)

13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,(DF)
    and of their followers, who approve their sayings.[n]
14 They are like sheep and are destined(DG) to die;(DH)
    death will be their shepherd
    (but the upright will prevail(DI) over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave,
    far from their princely mansions.
15 But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;(DJ)
    he will surely take me to himself.(DK)
16 Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
    when the splendor of their houses increases;
17 for they will take nothing(DL) with them when they die,
    their splendor will not descend with them.(DM)
18 Though while they live they count themselves blessed—(DN)
    and people praise you when you prosper—
19 they will join those who have gone before them,(DO)
    who will never again see the light(DP) of life.

20 People who have wealth but lack understanding(DQ)
    are like the beasts that perish.(DR)

Psalm 50

A psalm of Asaph.

The Mighty One, God, the Lord,(DS)
    speaks and summons the earth
    from the rising of the sun to where it sets.(DT)
From Zion,(DU) perfect in beauty,(DV)
    God shines forth.(DW)
Our God comes(DX)
    and will not be silent;(DY)
a fire devours(DZ) before him,(EA)
    and around him a tempest(EB) rages.
He summons the heavens above,
    and the earth,(EC) that he may judge his people:(ED)
“Gather to me this consecrated people,(EE)
    who made a covenant(EF) with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim(EG) his righteousness,
    for he is a God of justice.[o][p](EH)

“Listen, my people, and I will speak;
    I will testify(EI) against you, Israel:
    I am God, your God.(EJ)
I bring no charges(EK) against you concerning your sacrifices
    or concerning your burnt offerings,(EL) which are ever before me.
I have no need of a bull(EM) from your stall
    or of goats(EN) from your pens,(EO)
10 for every animal of the forest(EP) is mine,
    and the cattle on a thousand hills.(EQ)
11 I know every bird(ER) in the mountains,
    and the insects in the fields(ES) are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
    for the world(ET) is mine, and all that is in it.(EU)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?

14 “Sacrifice thank offerings(EV) to God,
    fulfill your vows(EW) to the Most High,(EX)
15 and call(EY) on me in the day of trouble;(EZ)
    I will deliver(FA) you, and you will honor(FB) me.”

16 But to the wicked person, God says:

“What right have you to recite my laws
    or take my covenant(FC) on your lips?(FD)
17 You hate(FE) my instruction
    and cast my words behind(FF) you.
18 When you see a thief, you join(FG) with him;
    you throw in your lot with adulterers.(FH)
19 You use your mouth for evil
    and harness your tongue to deceit.(FI)
20 You sit and testify against your brother(FJ)
    and slander your own mother’s son.
21 When you did these things and I kept silent,(FK)
    you thought I was exactly[q] like you.
But I now arraign(FL) you
    and set my accusations(FM) before you.

22 “Consider this, you who forget God,(FN)
    or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:(FO)
23 Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,
    and to the blameless[r] I will show my salvation.(FP)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 46:1 In Hebrew texts 46:1-11 is numbered 46:2-12.
  2. Psalm 46:1 Title: Probably a musical term
  3. Psalm 46:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 7 and 11.
  4. Psalm 46:9 Or chariots
  5. Psalm 47:1 In Hebrew texts 47:1-9 is numbered 47:2-10.
  6. Psalm 47:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  7. Psalm 47:9 Or shields
  8. Psalm 48:1 In Hebrew texts 48:1-14 is numbered 48:2-15.
  9. Psalm 48:2 Zaphon was the most sacred mountain of the Canaanites.
  10. Psalm 48:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  11. Psalm 49:1 In Hebrew texts 49:1-20 is numbered 49:2-21.
  12. Psalm 49:11 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew In their thoughts their houses will remain
  13. Psalm 49:11 Or generations, / for they have
  14. Psalm 49:13 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 15.
  15. Psalm 50:6 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text for God himself is judge
  16. Psalm 50:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  17. Psalm 50:21 Or thought the ‘I am’ was
  18. Psalm 50:23 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; the meaning of the Masoretic Text for this phrase is uncertain.