Psalm 48

Zion, the City of Our God

1 God 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 The 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 You 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 We 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.
11 Be glad, Zion Mountain;
Dance, Judah's daughters!
He does what he said he'd do!

12 Circle 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.

The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by NavPress and Eugene H. Peterson
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