Beginning
God the Refuge of His People.
For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah, [a]set to Alamoth. A Song.
46 God is our (A)refuge and strength,
[b]A very (B)present help (C)in [c]trouble.
2 Therefore we will (D)not fear, though (E)the earth should change
And though (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. [e]Selah.
4 There is a (H)river whose streams make glad the (I)city of God,
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 [f]when morning dawns.
6 The [g]nations (M)made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered;
He [h](N)raised His voice, the earth (O)melted.
7 The Lord of hosts (P)is with us;
The God of Jacob is (Q)our stronghold. Selah.
8 Come, (R)behold the works of the Lord,
[i]Who has wrought (S)desolations in 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 “[j]Cease striving and (W)know that I am God;
I will be (X)exalted among the [k]nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.
God the King of the Earth.
For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
47 O (Y)clap your hands, all peoples;
(Z)Shout to God with the voice of [l]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)glory of Jacob whom He loves. [m]Selah.
5 God has (AF)ascended [n]with a shout,
The Lord, [o]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 [p]skillful psalm.
8 God (AL)reigns over the nations,
God [q]sits on (AM)His holy throne.
9 The [r](AN)princes of the people have assembled themselves as the (AO)people of the God of Abraham,
For the (AP)shields of the earth belong to God;
He [s]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 God, in her palaces,
Has made Himself known as a (AX)stronghold.
4 For, lo, the (AY)kings assembled themselves,
They passed by together.
5 They saw it, then they were amazed;
They were (AZ)terrified, they [t]fled in alarm.
6 [u]Panic seized them there,
Anguish, as of (BA)a woman in childbirth.
7 With the (BB)east wind
You (BC)break the (BD)ships of Tarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen
In the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God;
God will (BE)establish her forever. [v]Selah.
9 We have thought on (BF)Your lovingkindness, O God,
In the midst of Your temple.
10 As is Your (BG)name, O God,
So is Your (BH)praise to the ends of the earth;
Your (BI)right hand is full of righteousness.
11 Let Mount (BJ)Zion be glad,
Let the (BK)daughters of Judah rejoice
Because of Your judgments.
12 Walk about Zion and go around her;
Count her (BL)towers;
13 Consider her (BM)ramparts;
Go through her palaces,
That you may (BN)tell it to the next generation.
14 For [w]such is God,
Our God forever and ever;
He will (BO)guide us [x]until death.
The Folly of Trusting in Riches.
For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
49 (BP)Hear this, all peoples;
Give ear, 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 [y]express my (BW)riddle on the harp.
5 Why should I (BX)fear in days of adversity,
When the iniquity of my [z]foes surrounds me,
6 Even those who (BY)trust in their wealth
And boast in the abundance of their riches?
7 No man can by any means (BZ)redeem his brother
Or give to God a (CA)ransom for him—
8 For (CB)the redemption of [aa]his soul is costly,
And he should cease trying forever—
9 That he should (CC)live on eternally,
That he should not [ab](CD)undergo decay.
10 For he sees that even (CE)wise men die;
The (CF)stupid and the senseless alike perish
And (CG)leave their wealth to others.
11 Their [ac](CH)inner thought is that their houses (CI)are forever
And their dwelling places to all generations;
They have (CJ)called their lands after their own names.
12 But (CK)man in his [ad]pomp will not endure;
He is like the [ae]beasts that [af]perish.
13 This is the (CL)way of those who are foolish,
And of those after them who (CM)approve their words. [ag]Selah.
14 As sheep they are appointed (CN)for [ah]Sheol;
Death shall be their shepherd;
And the (CO)upright shall rule over them in the morning,
And their form shall be for [ai]Sheol (CP)to consume
[aj]So that they have no habitation.
15 But God will (CQ)redeem my soul from the [ak]power of [al]Sheol,
For (CR)He will receive me. Selah.
16 Do not be afraid (CS)when a man becomes rich,
When the [am]glory of his house is increased;
17 For when he dies he will (CT)carry nothing away;
His [an]glory will not descend after him.
18 Though while he lives he (CU)congratulates [ao]himself—
And though men praise you when you do well for yourself—
19 [ap]He shall (CV)go to the generation of his fathers;
They will never see (CW)the light.
20 (CX)Man in his [aq]pomp, yet without understanding,
Is (CY)like the [ar]beasts that [as]perish.
God the Judge of the Righteous and the Wicked.
A Psalm of [at]Asaph.
50 (CZ)The Mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken,
And summoned the earth (DA)from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, (DB)the perfection of beauty,
God (DC)has shone forth.
3 May our God (DD)come and not keep silence;
(DE)Fire devours before Him,
And it is very (DF)tempestuous 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. [au]Selah.
7 “(DM)Hear, O My people, and I will speak;
O Israel, I will testify [av]against you;
I am God, (DN)your God.
8 “I do (DO)not reprove you for your sacrifices,
And your burnt offerings are continually before Me.
9 “I shall take no (DP)young bull out of your house
Nor male goats out of your folds.
10 “For (DQ)every beast 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 [aw]Mine.
12 “If I were hungry I would not tell you,
For the (DS)world is Mine, and [ax]all it contains.
13 “Shall I eat the flesh of [ay](DT)bulls
Or drink the blood of male goats?
14 “Offer to God (DU)a sacrifice of thanksgiving
And (DV)pay your vows to the Most High;
15 (DW)Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I shall (DX)rescue you, and you will (DY)honor Me.”
16 But to the wicked God says,
“What right have you to tell of My statutes
And to take (DZ)My covenant in your mouth?
17 “For you (EA)hate discipline,
And you (EB)cast My words behind you.
18 “When you see a thief, you [az](EC)are pleased with him,
And [ba]you (ED)associate with adulterers.
19 “You [bb](EE)let your mouth loose in evil
And your (EF)tongue frames 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 silence;
You thought that I was just like you;
I will (EI)reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.