Beginning
God, the Refuge of His People.
For the music director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah, [a]set to Alamoth. A Song.
46 God is our (A)refuge and strength,
A [b]very (B)ready help (C)in [c]trouble.
2 Therefore we will (D)not fear, though (E)the earth shakes
And (F)the mountains slip into the heart of the [d]sea;
3 Though its (G)waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah
4 There is a (H)river whose streams make the (I)city of God happy,
The holy (J)dwelling places of the Most High.
5 God is (K)in the midst of her, she will not be moved;
God will (L)help her [e]when morning dawns.
6 The [f]nations (M)made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered;
He [g](N)raised His voice, the earth (O)quaked.
7 The Lord of armies (P)is with us;
The God of Jacob is (Q)our stronghold. Selah
8 Come, (R)behold the works of the Lord,
[h]Who has inflicted (S)horrific events on the earth.
9 He (T)makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He (U)breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He (V)burns the chariots with fire.
10 “[i]Stop striving and (W)know that I am God;
I will be (X)exalted among the [j]nations, I will be exalted on the earth.”
11 The Lord of armies is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah
God, the King of the Earth.
For the music director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
47 (Y)Clap your hands, all you peoples;
(Z)Shout to God with a voice of joy.
2 For the Lord Most High is to be (AA)feared,
A (AB)great King over all the earth.
3 He (AC)subdues peoples under us
And nations under our feet.
4 He chooses our (AD)inheritance for us,
The (AE)pride of Jacob whom He loves. Selah
5 God has (AF)ascended [k]with a shout,
The Lord, [l]with the (AG)sound of a trumpet.
6 (AH)Sing praises to God, sing praises;
Sing praises to (AI)our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the (AJ)King of all the earth;
Sing praises (AK)with a psalm of wisdom.
8 God (AL)reigns over the nations,
God [m]sits on (AM)His holy throne.
9 The [n](AN)princes of the people have assembled as the (AO)people of the God of Abraham,
For the (AP)shields of the earth belong to God;
He is (AQ)highly exalted.
The Beauty and Glory of Zion.
A Song; a Psalm of the sons of Korah.
48 (AR)Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised
In the (AS)city of our God, His (AT)holy mountain.
2 (AU)Beautiful in elevation, (AV)the joy of the whole earth,
Is Mount Zion in the far north,
The (AW)city of the great King.
3 In its palaces,
God has made Himself known as a (AX)stronghold.
4 For, behold, the (AY)kings arrived,
They passed by together.
5 They saw it, then they were amazed;
They were (AZ)terrified, they fled in a hurry.
6 [o]Panic seized them there,
Anguish, as that of (BA)a woman in childbirth.
7 With the (BB)east wind
You (BC)smash the (BD)ships of Tarshish.
8 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 (BE)establish her forever. Selah
9 We have thought over (BF)Your goodness, God,
In the midst of Your temple.
10 As is Your (BG)name, God,
So is Your (BH)praise to the ends of the earth;
Your (BI)right hand is full of righteousness.
11 Mount (BJ)Zion shall be glad,
The (BK)daughters of Judah shall rejoice
Because of Your judgments.
12 Walk around Zion and encircle her;
Count her (BL)towers;
13 Consider her (BM)ramparts;
Go through her palaces,
So that you may (BN)tell of her to the next generation.
14 For [p]such is God,
Our God forever and ever;
He will (BO)lead us [q]until death.
The Foolishness of Trusting in Riches.
For the music director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
49 (BP)Hear this, all peoples;
Listen, all (BQ)inhabitants of the world,
2 Both (BR)low and high,
Rich and poor together.
3 My mouth will (BS)speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart will be (BT)understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to (BU)a proverb;
(BV)I will [r]express my (BW)riddle on the harp.
5 Why should I (BX)fear in days of adversity,
When the injustice of those who betray me surrounds me,
6 Those who (BY)trust in their wealth
And boast in the abundance of their riches?
7 No one can by any means (BZ)redeem another
Or give God a (CA)ransom for him—
8 For (CB)the redemption of [s]his soul is priceless,
And he should cease imagining forever—
9 That he might (CC)live on eternally,
That he might not [t](CD)undergo decay.
10 For he sees that even (CE)wise people die;
The (CF)foolish and the stupid alike perish
And (CG)leave their wealth to others.
11 Their [u](CH)inner thought is that their houses (CI)are forever
And their dwelling places to all generations;
They have (CJ)named their lands after their own names.
12 But (CK)man in his splendor will not endure;
He is like the animals that [v]perish.
13 This is the (CL)way of those who are foolish,
And of those after them who (CM)approve their words. Selah
14 Like sheep they sink down (CN)to [w]Sheol;
Death will be their shepherd;
And the (CO)upright will rule over them in the morning,
And their form shall be for [x]Sheol (CP)to consume
[y]So that they have no lofty home.
15 But God will (CQ)redeem my soul from the [z]power of [aa]Sheol,
For (CR)He will receive me. Selah
16 Do not be afraid (CS)when a person becomes rich,
When the splendor of his house is increased;
17 For when he dies, he will (CT)take nothing with him;
His [ab]wealth will not descend after him.
18 Though while he lives he (CU)congratulates [ac]himself—
And though people praise you when you do well for yourself—
19 [ad]He will (CV)go to the generation of his fathers;
They will never see (CW)the light.
20 (CX)Mankind in its splendor, yet without understanding,
Is (CY)like the animals that [ae]perish.
God, the Judge of the Righteous and the Wicked.
A Psalm of [af]Asaph.
50 (CZ)The Mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken
And summoned the earth, (DA)from [ag]the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, (DB)the perfection of beauty,
God (DC)has shone.
3 May our God (DD)come and not keep silent;
(DE)Fire devours before Him,
And a storm is violently (DF)raging around Him.
4 He (DG)summons the heavens above,
And the earth, to judge His people:
5 “Gather My (DH)godly ones to Me,
Those who have made a (DI)covenant with Me by (DJ)sacrifice.”
6 And the (DK)heavens declare His righteousness,
For (DL)God Himself is judge. Selah
7 “(DM)Hear, My people, and I will speak;
Israel, I will testify [ah]against you;
I am God, (DN)your God.
8 I do (DO)not rebuke you for your sacrifices,
And your burnt offerings are continually before Me.
9 I will not take a (DP)bull from your house,
Nor male goats from your folds.
10 For (DQ)every animal of the forest is Mine,
The cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every (DR)bird of the mountains,
And everything that moves in the field is [ai]Mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
For the (DS)world is Mine, and [aj]everything it contains.
13 Shall I eat the flesh of [ak](DT)bulls
Or drink the blood of male goats?
14 Offer God (DU)a sacrifice of thanksgiving
And (DV)pay your vows to the Most High;
15 (DW)Call upon Me on the day of trouble;
I will (DX)rescue you, and you will (DY)honor Me.”
16 But to the wicked God says,
“What right do you have to tell of My statutes
And to take (DZ)My covenant in your mouth?
17 For you yourself (EA)hate discipline,
And you (EB)throw My words behind you.
18 When you see a thief, you (EC)become friends with him,
And [al]you (ED)associate with adulterers.
19 You [am](EE)let your mouth loose in evil,
And your (EF)tongue harnesses deceit.
20 You sit and (EG)speak against your brother;
You slander your own mother’s son.
21 These things you have done and (EH)I kept silent;
You thought that I was just like you;
I will (EI)rebuke you and present the case before your eyes.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.