< Psalms 48 >

1 A Song, a Psalm, by sons of Korah. Great [is] Jehovah, and praised greatly, In the city of our God — His holy hill.
Yahweh is great, and he deserves to be greatly praised in the city where he [lives], [which is built on Zion], his sacred hill.
2 Beautiful [for] elevation, A joy of all the land, [is] Mount Zion, The sides of the north, the city of a great king.
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].
3 God in her high places is known for a tower.
God is in the strong towers there, and he shows that he protects the people in that city.
4 For, lo, the kings met, they passed by together,
Many kings gathered [with their armies] to attack [that city],
5 They have seen — so they have marvelled, They have been troubled, they were hastened away.
but when they saw it, they were amazed; they became terrified, and ran away.
6 Trembling hath seized them there, Pain, as of a travailing woman.
Because they were very afraid, they trembled like a woman who is about to give birth to a child;
7 By an east wind Thou shiverest ships of Tarshish.
they shook [like] ships sailing from Tarshish are shaken by a strong wind.
8 As we have heard, so we have seen, In the city of Jehovah of hosts, In the city of our God, God doth establish her — to the age. (Selah)
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.
9 We have thought, O God, of Thy kindness, In the midst of Thy temple,
God, [here] in your temple we think about how you faithfully love us.
10 As [is] Thy name, O God, so [is] Thy praise, Over the ends of the earth, Righteousness hath filled Thy right hand.
You [MTY] are famous and (are praised/people praise you) all over the earth, because you rule powerfully [MTY] and justly.
11 Rejoice doth Mount Zion, The daughters of Judah are joyful, For the sake of Thy judgments.
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.
12 Compass Zion, and go round her, count her towers,
[You Israeli people should] walk around Zion [Hill] and count the towers there;
13 Set your heart to her bulwark, Consider her high places, So that ye recount to a later generation,
notice the walls there and examine the forts in order that you can tell about them to your children.
14 That this God [is] our God — To the age and for ever, He — he doth lead us over death!
[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.”

< Psalms 48 >