The Greatness of God in Zion
A song. A psalm of the sons of Korah.[a]
48 Yahweh is great and very worthy of praise
in the city of our God, in his holy mountain.[b]
2 Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth,
is Mount Zion,[c] in the far north,[d]
the city of the great king.
3 God is in her citadels;
he is known as a high stronghold.
4 For see, the kings assembled;[e]
they advanced together.
5 They themselves saw[f] it, so they were astonished.
They were terrified; they ran off.
6 Trembling seized them there—
pain as of a woman in labor.
7 With an east wind
you shatter[g] the ships of Tarshish.[h]
8 As we have heard, so we have seen
in the city of Yahweh of hosts, in the city of our God.
God will establish her forever. Selah
9 We have pondered your loyal love, O God,
in the midst of your temple.
10 As is your name, O God, so is your praise
to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is full of righteousness.
11 Let Mount Zion[i] rejoice;
let the daughters of Judah rejoice
because of your judgments.
12 Walk about Zion and circle it;
count her towers.
13 Consider well[j] her ramparts.
Go through her citadels
so that you can tell the next generation
14 that this is God, our God forever and ever.
He himself[k] will guide us until death.
Footnotes
- Psalm 48:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
- Psalm 48:1 Literally “mountain of holiness”
- Psalm 48:2 Literally “the mountain of Zion”
- Psalm 48:2 Literally “far of north”; the word translated “north” could refer to Mount Zaphon
- Psalm 48:4 That is, preparing for battle
- Psalm 48:5 Literally “They, they saw”
- Psalm 48:7 A few Hebrew manuscripts read “like an east wind that shatters”
- Psalm 48:7 That is, ships that can sail to Tarshish, i.e. well built, able to traverse great distances
- Psalm 48:11 Literally “the mountain of Zion”
- Psalm 48:13 Literally “Set your heart to”
- Psalm 48:14 Literally “he, he will …”