Psalm 46–48

A Song of the Sons of Korah

^1–346God is a safe place to hide,

ready to help when we need him.

We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom,

courageous in sea-storm and earthquake,

Before the rush and roar of oceans,

the tremors that shift mountains.

Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,

God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

^4–6River fountains splash joy, cooling God’s city,

this sacred haunt of the Most High.

God lives here, the streets are safe,

God at your service from crack of dawn.

Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten,

but Earth does anything he says.

⁷Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,

God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

^8–10Attention, all! See the marvels of God!

He plants flowers and trees all over the earth,

Bans war from pole to pole,

breaks all the weapons across his knee.

“Step out of the traffic! Take a long,

loving look at me, your High God,

above politics, above everything.”

¹¹Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,

God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

A Psalm of the Sons of Korah

^1–947Applause, everyone. Bravo, bravissimo!

Shout God-songs at the top of your lungs!

God Most High is stunning,

astride land and ocean.

He crushes hostile people,

puts nations at our feet.

He set us at the head of the line,

prize-winning Jacob, his favorite.

Loud cheers as God climbs the mountain,

a ram’s horn blast at the summit.

Sing songs to God, sing out!

Sing to our King, sing praise!

He’s Lord over earth,

so sing your best songs to God.

God is Lord of godless nations—

sovereign, he’s King of the mountain.

Princes from all over are gathered,

people of Abraham’s God.

The powers of earth are God’s—

he soars over all.

A Psalm of the Sons of Korah

^1–348God majestic,

praise abounds in our God-city!

His sacred mountain,

breathtaking in its heights—earth’s joy.

Zion Mountain looms in the North,

city of the world-King.

God in his citadel peaks

impregnable.

^4–6The kings got together,

they united and came.

They took one look and shook their heads,

they scattered and ran away.

They doubled up in pain

like a woman having a baby.

^7–8You smashed the ships of Tarshish

with a storm out of the East.

We heard about it, then we saw it

with our eyes—

In God’s city of Angel Armies,

in the city our God

Set on firm foundations,

firm forever.

^9–10We pondered your love-in-action, God,

waiting in your temple:

Your name, God, evokes a train

of Hallelujahs wherever

It is spoken, near and far;

your arms are heaped with goodness-in-action.

¹¹Be glad, Zion Mountain;

Dance, Judah’s daughters!

He does what he said he’d do!

^12–14Circle Zion, take her measure,

count her fortress peaks,

Gaze long at her sloping bulwark,

climb her citadel heights—

Then you can tell the next generation

detail by detail the story of God,

Our God forever,

who guides us till the end of time.