Psalm 46–49

Psalm 46

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth. A song.

^*God is our refuge^a and strength,^b

an ever-present^c help^d in trouble.^e

Therefore we will not fear,^f though the earth give way^g

and the mountains fall^h into the heart of the sea,ⁱ

though its waters roar^j and foam^k

and the mountains quake^l with their surging.

There is a river^m whose streamsⁿ make glad the city of God,^o

the holy place where the Most High^p dwells.^q

God is within her,^r she will not fall;^s

God will help^t her at break of day.

Nations^u are in uproar,^v kingdoms^w fall;

he lifts his voice,^x the earth melts.^y

The Lord Almighty^z is with us;^a

the God of Jacob^b is our fortress.^c

Come and see what the Lord has done,^d

the desolations^e he has brought on the earth.

He makes wars^f cease

to the ends of the earth.

He breaks the bow^g and shatters the spear;

he burns the shields with fire.^h

“Be still, and know that I am God;ⁱ

I will be exalted^j among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”

The Lord Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob^k is our fortress.^l

Psalm 47

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

^*Clap your hands,^a all you nations;

shout to God with cries of joy.^b

For the Lord Most High^c is awesome,^d

the great King^e over all the earth.

He subdued^f nations under us,

peoples under our feet.

He chose our inheritance^g for us,

the pride of Jacob,^h whom he loved.

God has ascendedⁱ amid shouts of joy,^j

the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.^k

Sing praises^l to God, sing praises;

sing praises to our King, sing praises.

For God is the King of all the earth;^m

sing to him a psalmⁿ of praise.

God reigns^o over the nations;

God is seated on his holy throne.^p

The nobles of the nations assemble

as the people of the God of Abraham,

for the kings of the earth belong to God;^q

he is greatly exalted.^r

Psalm 48

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.

^*Great is the Lord,^a and most worthy of praise,^b

in the city of our God,^c his holy mountain.^d

Beautiful^e in its loftiness,

the joy of the whole earth,

like the heights of Zaphon^f is Mount Zion,^g

the city of the Great King.^h

God is in her citadels;ⁱ

he has shown himself to be her fortress.^j

When the kings joined forces,

when they advanced together,^k

they saw her and were astounded;

they fled in terror.^l

Trembling seized^m them there,

pain like that of a woman in labor.ⁿ

You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish^o

shattered by an east wind.^p

As we have heard,

so we have seen

in the city of the Lord Almighty,

in the city of our God:

God makes her secure

forever.^q

Within your temple, O God,

we meditate^r on your unfailing love.^s

Like your name,^t O God,

your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;^u

your right hand is filled with righteousness.

Mount Zion rejoices,

the villages of Judah are glad

because of your judgments.^v

Walk about Zion, go around her,

count her towers,^w

consider well her ramparts,^x

view her citadels,^y

that you may tell of them

to the next generation.^z

For this God is our God for ever and ever;

he will be our guide^a even to the end.

Psalm 49

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

^*Hear^a this, all you peoples;^b

listen, all who live in this world,^c

both low and high,^d

rich and poor alike:

My mouth will speak words of wisdom;^e

the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.^f

I will turn my ear to a proverb;^g

with the harp^h I will expound my riddle:ⁱ

Why should I fear^j when evil days come,

when wicked deceivers surround me—

those who trust in their wealth^k

and boast^l of their great riches?^m

No one can redeem the life of another

or give to God a sufficient ransom—

the ransomⁿ for a life is costly,

no payment is ever enough—^o

so that someone should live on^p forever

and not see decay.^q

For all can see that the wise die,^r

that the foolish and the senseless^s also perish,

leaving their wealth^t to others.^u

Their tombs^v will remain their houses forever,

their dwellings for endless generations,^w

though they had named^x lands after themselves.

Human beings, despite their wealth, do not endure;^y

they are like the beasts that perish.^z

This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,^a

and of their followers, who approve their sayings.

They are like sheep and are destined^b to die;^c

death will be their shepherd

(but the upright will prevail^d over them in the morning).

Their forms will decay in the grave,

far from their princely mansions.

But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;^e

he will surely take me to himself.^f

Do not be overawed when others grow rich,

when the splendor of their houses increases;

for they will take nothing^g with them when they die,

their splendor will not descend with them.^h

Though while they live they count themselves blessed—ⁱ

and people praise you when you prosper—

they will join those who have gone before them,^j

who will never again see the light^k of life.

Human beings who have wealth but lack understanding^l

are like the beasts that perish.^m