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48 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, on the mountain of His holiness.

Beautiful in situation, the joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion; on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

God is known in her palaces as a refuge.

For lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together.

They saw it and so they marveled; they were troubled and hastened away.

Fear took hold upon them there, and pain as of a woman in travail;

Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.

As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah

We have thought of Thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of Thy temple.

10 According to Thy name, O God, so is Thy praise unto the ends of the earth; Thy right hand is full of righteousness.

11 Let Mount Zion rejoice! Let the daughters of Judah be glad because of Thy judgments!

12 Walk about Zion and go round about her, count the towers thereof;

13 mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces, that ye may tell it to the generation that follows.

14 For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even unto death.

Psalm 48[a]

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.

Great is the Lord,(A) and most worthy of praise,(B)
    in the city of our God,(C) his holy mountain.(D)

Beautiful(E) in its loftiness,
    the joy of the whole earth,
like the heights of Zaphon[b](F) is Mount Zion,(G)
    the city of the Great King.(H)
God is in her citadels;(I)
    he has shown himself to be her fortress.(J)

When the kings joined forces,
    when they advanced together,(K)
they saw her and were astounded;
    they fled in terror.(L)
Trembling seized(M) them there,
    pain like that of a woman in labor.(N)
You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish(O)
    shattered by an east wind.(P)

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.[c](Q)

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

12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
    count her towers,(W)
13 consider well her ramparts,(X)
    view her citadels,(Y)
that you may tell of them
    to the next generation.(Z)

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

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 48:1 In Hebrew texts 48:1-14 is numbered 48:2-15.
  2. Psalm 48:2 Zaphon was the most sacred mountain of the Canaanites.
  3. Psalm 48:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.