Psalm 48

¹ Great is the Lord, and greatly he

is to be praised still,

Within the city of our God,

upon his holy hill.

² Mount Sion stands most beautiful,

the joy of all the land;

The city of the mighty King

on her north side doth stand.

³ The Lord within her palaces

is for a refuge known.

⁴ For, lo, the kings that gather’d were

together, by have gone.

⁵ But when they did behold the same,

they, wond’ring, would not stay;

But, being troubled at the sight,

they thence did haste away.

⁶ Great terror there took hold on them;

they were possess’d with fear;

Their grief came like a woman’s pain,

when she a child doth bear.

⁷ Thou Tarshish ships with east wind break’st:

⁸ As we have heard it told,

So, in the city of the Lord,

our eyes did it behold;

In our God’s city, which his hand

for ever stablish will.

⁹ We of thy loving-kindness thought,

Lord, in thy temple still.

¹⁰ O Lord, according to thy name,

through all the earth’s thy praise;

And thy right hand, O Lord, is full

of righteousness always.

¹¹ Because thy judgments are made known,

let Sion mount rejoice;

Of Judah let the daughters all

send forth a cheerful voice.

¹² Walk about Sion, and go round;

the high tow’rs thereof tell:

¹³ Consider ye her palaces,

and mark her bulwarks well;

That ye may tell posterity.

¹⁴ For this God doth abide

Our God for evermore; he will

ev’n unto death us guide.