Psalm 47–50

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

Psalm 50

A psalm of Asaph.

The Mighty One, God, the Lord,^a

speaks and summons the earth

from the rising of the sun to where it sets.^b

From Zion,^c perfect in beauty,^d

God shines forth.^e

Our God comes^f

and will not be silent;^g

a fire devours^h before him,ⁱ

and around him a tempest^j rages.

He summons the heavens above,

and the earth,^k that he may judge his people:^l

“Gather to me this consecrated people,^m

who made a covenantⁿ with me by sacrifice.”

And the heavens proclaim^o his righteousness,

for he is a God of justice.^p

“Listen, my people, and I will speak;

I will testify^q against you, Israel:

I am God, your God.^r

I bring no charges^s against you concerning your sacrifices

or concerning your burnt offerings,^t which are ever before me.

I have no need of a bull^u from your stall

or of goats^v from your pens,^w

for every animal of the forest^x is mine,

and the cattle on a thousand hills.^y

I know every bird^z in the mountains,

and the creatures of the field^a are mine.

If I were hungry I would not tell you,

for the world^b is mine, and all that is in it.^c

Do I eat the flesh of bulls

or drink the blood of goats?

“Sacrifice thank offerings^d to God,

fulfill your vows^e to the Most High,^f

and call^g on me in the day of trouble;^h

I will deliverⁱ you, and you will honor^j me.”

But to the wicked, God says:

“What right have you to recite my laws

or take my covenant^k on your lips?^l

You hate^m my instruction

and cast my words behindⁿ you.

When you see thieves, you join^o with them;

you throw in your lot with adulterers.^p

You use your mouth for evil

and harness your tongue to deceit.^q

You sit and testify against your brother^r

and slander your own mother’s son.

When you did these things and I kept silent,^s

you thought I was exactly like you.

But I now arraign^t you

and set my accusations^u before you.

“Consider this, you who forget God,^v

or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue:^w

Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,

and to the blameless I will show my salvation.^x”