< Psalms 48 >

1 Yahweh is great, and he deserves to be greatly praised in the city where he [lives], [which is built on Zion], his sacred hill.
שִׁ֥יר מִ֝זְמֹור לִבְנֵי־קֹֽרַח׃ גָּ֘דֹ֤ול יְהוָ֣ה וּמְהֻלָּ֣ל מְאֹ֑ד בְּעִ֥יר אֱ֝לֹהֵ֗ינוּ הַר־קָדְשֹֽׁו׃
2 That city, on a high [hill], is beautiful; it is the city where the true [God], the great king, [lives], and it causes people all over the world to rejoice [when they see it].
יְפֵ֥ה נֹוף֮ מְשֹׂ֪ושׂ כָּל־הָ֫אָ֥רֶץ הַר־צִ֭יֹּון יַרְכְּתֵ֣י צָפֹ֑ון קִ֝רְיַ֗ת מֶ֣לֶךְ רָֽב׃
3 God is in the strong towers there, and he shows that he protects the people in that city.
אֱלֹהִ֥ים בְּאַרְמְנֹותֶ֗יהָ נֹודַ֥ע לְמִשְׂגָּֽב׃
4 Many kings gathered [with their armies] to attack [that city],
כִּֽי־הִנֵּ֣ה הַ֭מְּלָכִים נֹֽועֲד֑וּ עָבְר֥וּ יַחְדָּֽו׃
5 but when they saw it, they were amazed; they became terrified, and ran away.
הֵ֣מָּה רָ֭אוּ כֵּ֣ן תָּמָ֑הוּ נִבְהֲל֥וּ נֶחְפָּֽזוּ׃
6 Because they were very afraid, they trembled like a woman who is about to give birth to a child;
רְ֭עָדָה אֲחָזָ֣תַם שָׁ֑ם חִ֝֗יל כַּיֹּולֵֽדָה׃
7 they shook [like] ships sailing from Tarshish are shaken by a strong wind.
בְּר֥וּחַ קָדִ֑ים תְּ֝שַׁבֵּ֗ר אֳנִיֹּ֥ות תַּרְשִֽׁישׁ׃
8 We had heard [that this city is glorious], and now we have seen that it is. It is the city in which Yahweh, the almighty one, [lives]. It is the city which God will preserve/protect forever.
כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר שָׁמַ֨עְנוּ ׀ כֵּ֤ן רָאִ֗ינוּ בְּעִיר־יְהוָ֣ה צְ֭בָאֹות בְּעִ֣יר אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ אֱלֹ֘הִ֤ים יְכֹונְנֶ֖הָ עַד־עֹולָ֣ם סֶֽלָה׃
9 God, [here] in your temple we think about how you faithfully love us.
דִּמִּ֣ינוּ אֱלֹהִ֣ים חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ בְּ֝קֶ֗רֶב הֵיכָלֶֽךָ׃
10 You [MTY] are famous and (are praised/people praise you) all over the earth, because you rule powerfully [MTY] and justly.
כְּשִׁמְךָ֤ אֱלֹהִ֗ים כֵּ֣ן תְּ֭הִלָּתְךָ עַל־קַצְוֵי־אֶ֑רֶץ צֶ֝֗דֶק מָלְאָ֥ה יְמִינֶֽךָ׃
11 The people who live near Zion Hill should be happy! The people in [all] the cities [MTY] in Judah should rejoice because you judge people fairly.
יִשְׂמַ֤ח ׀ הַר־צִיֹּ֗ון תָּ֭גֵלְנָה בְּנֹ֣ות יְהוּדָ֑ה לְ֝מַ֗עַן מִשְׁפָּטֶֽיךָ׃
12 [You Israeli people should] walk around Zion [Hill] and count the towers there;
סֹ֣בּוּ צִ֭יֹּון וְהַקִּיפ֑וּהָ סִ֝פְר֗וּ מִגְדָּלֶֽיהָ׃
13 notice the walls there and examine the forts in order that you can tell about them to your children.
שִׁ֤יתוּ לִבְּכֶ֨ם ׀ לְֽחֵילָ֗ה פַּסְּג֥וּ אַרְמְנֹותֶ֑יהָ לְמַ֥עַן תְּ֝סַפְּר֗וּ לְדֹ֣ור אַחֲרֹֽון׃
14 [Say to them], “This is [the city that belongs to] our God, [the one who lives] forever; he will guide us all of our lives.”
כִּ֤י זֶ֨ה ׀ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֱ֭לֹהֵינוּ עֹולָ֣ם וָעֶ֑ד ה֖וּא יְנַהֲגֵ֣נוּ עַל־מֽוּת׃

< Psalms 48 >