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Psalm 48

A song of the sons of Korah.

The Eternal is great and mighty, worthy of great praise
    in the city of our True God, upon His holy mountain.
Situated high above, Mount Zion is beautiful to see,
    the pleasure of the entire earth.
Mount Zion, in the north,[a]
    is the city of the great King.
In her palaces, the True God
    has revealed Himself as a mighty fortress.

Not long ago, enemy kings gathered together
    and moved forward as one to attack the city.
When they saw Mount Zion, they were amazed;
    amazement became fear, then panic. They fled for their lives.
They were overtaken by terror, trembling in anguish
    like a woman in childbirth.
God, You shattered the ships of Tarshish
    with the mighty east wind.
As we have heard stories of Your greatness,
    now we have also seen it with our own eyes
    right here, in the city of the Eternal, the Commander of heavenly armies.
Right here, in our God’s city,
    the True God will preserve her forever.

[pause][b]

We have meditated upon Your loyal love, O God,
    within Your holy temple.
10 Just as Your name reaches to the ends of the earth, O God,
    so Your praise flows there too;
Your right hand holds justice.
11 So because of Your judgments,
    may Mount Zion be delighted!
    May the villages of Judah celebrate!

12 Explore Zion; make an accounting,
    note all her towers;
13 Reflect upon her defenses;
    stroll through her palaces
So that you can tell the coming generation all about her.
14 For so is God,
    our True God, forever and ever;
    He will be our guide till the end.

Footnotes

  1. 48:2 Hebrew, zaphon
  2. 48:8 Literally, selah, likely a musical direction from a Hebrew root meaning “to lift up”

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.