Psalm 46–49

Psalm 46

God’s Defense of His City and People

To the leader. Of the Korahites. According to Alamoth. A Song.

¹God is our refuge and strength,

a very present^j help in trouble.^*

²Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,

though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea,^*

³though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble with its tumult.   Selah^*

⁴There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy habitation of the Most High.^*

⁵God is in the midst of the city;^k it shall not be moved;

God will help it when the morning dawns.^*

⁶The nations are in an uproar; the kingdoms totter;

he utters his voice; the earth melts.^*

⁷The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our refuge.^l   Selah^*

⁸Come, behold the works of the Lord;

see what desolations he has brought on the earth.^*

⁹He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

he burns the shields with fire.^*

¹⁰“Be still, and know that I am God!

I am exalted among the nations;

I am exalted in the earth.”^*

¹¹The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our refuge.^m   Selah

Psalm 47

God’s Rule over the Nations

To the leader. Of the Korahites. A Psalm.

¹Clap your hands, all you peoples;

shout to God with loud songs of joy.^*

²For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome,

a great king over all the earth.^*

³He subdued peoples under us

and nations under our feet.^*

⁴He chose our heritage for us,

the pride of Jacob whom he loves.   Selah^*

⁵God has gone up with a shout,

the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.^*

⁶Sing praises to God, sing praises;

sing praises to our King, sing praises.^*

⁷For God is the king of all the earth;

sing praises with a psalm.^n*

⁸God is king over the nations;

God sits on his holy throne.^*

⁹The princes of the peoples gather

as the people of the God of Abraham.

For the shields of the earth belong to God;

he is highly exalted.^*

Psalm 48

The Glory and Strength of Zion

A Song. A Psalm of the Korahites.

¹Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised

in the city of our God.

His holy mountain,^{* 2}beautiful in elevation,

is the joy of all the earth,

Mount Zion, in the far north,

the city of the great King.^*

³Within its citadels God

has shown himself a sure defense.^*

⁴Then the kings assembled;

they came on together.^*

⁵As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;

they were in panic; they took to flight;^*

⁶trembling took hold of them there,

pains as of a woman in labor,

⁷as when an east wind shatters

the ships of Tarshish.^*

⁸As we have heard, so have we seen

in the city of the Lord of hosts,

in the city of our God,

which God establishes forever.   Selah

⁹We ponder your steadfast love, O God,

in the midst of your temple.

¹⁰Your name, O God, like your praise,

reaches to the ends of the earth.

Your right hand is filled with victory.^*

¹¹Let Mount Zion be glad;

let the towns^o of Judah rejoice

because of your judgments.^*

¹²Walk about Zion; go all around it;

count its towers;

¹³consider well its ramparts;

go through its citadels,

that you may tell the next generation^*

¹⁴that this is God,

our God forever and ever.

He will be our guide forever.^*

Psalm 49

The Folly of Trust in Riches

To the leader. Of the Korahites. A Psalm.

¹Hear this, all you peoples;

give ear, all inhabitants of the world,^*

²both low and high,

rich and poor together.

³My mouth shall speak wisdom;

the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.^*

⁴I will incline my ear to a proverb;

I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp.^*

⁵Why should I fear in times of trouble,

when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,^*

⁶those who trust in their wealth

and boast of the abundance of their riches?^*

⁷Truly, no ransom avails for one’s life;^p

there is no price one can give to God for it.^*

⁸For the ransom of life is costly

and can never suffice,^*

⁹that one should live on forever

and never see the Pit.^*

¹⁰When we look at the wise, they die;

fool and dolt perish together

and leave their wealth to others.^*

¹¹Their graves^q are their homes forever,

their dwelling places to all generations,

though they named lands their own.^*

¹²Mortals cannot abide in their pomp;

they are like the animals that perish.^*

¹³Such is the fate of the foolhardy,

the end of those^r who are pleased with their lot.   Selah^*

¹⁴Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;

Death shall be their shepherd;

straight to the grave they descend,^s

and their form shall waste away;

Sheol shall be their home.^t*

¹⁵But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,

for he will receive me.   Selah^*

¹⁶Do not be afraid when some become rich,

when the wealth of their houses increases.^*

¹⁷For when they die they will carry nothing away;

their wealth will not go down after them.^*

¹⁸Though in their lifetime they count themselves happy

—for you are praised when you do well for yourself—^*

¹⁹they^u will go to the company of their ancestors,

who will never again see the light.^*

²⁰Mortals cannot abide in their pomp;

they are like the animals that perish.^*