48
For the music director. A psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 The Lord is supreme! He deserves praise in the city of our God on his holy mountain.
2 Mount Zion is high and beautiful, bringing happiness to all the earth; on the northern side* is the city of the great King.
3 God himself is in the city's fortresses; he is recognized as its defender.
4 Look at what happened when foreign kings joined forces and came to attack the city.
5 As soon as they saw it they were astonished and ran away terrified.
6 They shook all over, and were in agonizing pain like a woman giving birth,
7 just as the strong east wind wrecks the ships from Tarshish.
8 Just as we had heard, but now we have seen the city of the Lord Almighty. This is the city of our God; he makes it secure forever. Selah.
9 God, we recall your trustworthy love as we worship in the Temple.
10 As is fitting for your reputation,† God, praises to you stretch all around the world. What you do is always right!
11 Let the people of Mount Zion be glad; let the people of Judah celebrate because your judgments are always fair!
12 Go and take a look at Zion. Count the towers as you walk around.
13 Inspect the fortifications. Examine the citadels, so you can describe everything to the next generation, telling them:
14 “This is who our God is. He is our God forever and ever. He himself will lead us until the very end.”‡
* 48:2 One interpretation is that this refers to the northern extension of Jerusalem that was not originally part of the city captured from the Jebusites. This new northern part was where the Temple and palace of Solomon were built. † 48:10 Literally, “name.” ‡ 48:14 “End.” There is some debate as to how this psalm ends. Some take the phrase to mean “death,” others “forever,” while still others think it was part of the superscription for the following psalm.