Psalms 48-50

Psalm 48

¹A Song. A Psalm. Of the sons of Korah. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, in the town of our God, in his holy mountain.

²Beautiful in its high position, the joy of all the earth, is the mountain of Zion, the mountain of God, the town of the great King.

³In its buildings God is seen to be a high tower.

⁴For see! the kings came together by agreement, they were joined together.

⁵They saw it, and so were full of wonder; they were troubled, and went quickly away in fear.

⁶Shaking came on them and pain, as on a woman in childbirth.

⁷By you the ships of Tarshish are broken as by an east wind.

⁸As it came to our ears so have we seen it, in the town of the Lord of armies, in the town of our God; God will keep it fixed for ever. (Selah.)

⁹Our thoughts were of your mercy, O God, while we were in your Temple.

¹⁰As your name is, O God, so is your praise to the ends of the earth; your right hand is full of righteousness.

¹¹Let there be joy in the mountain of Zion, and let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of your wise decisions.

¹²Make your way about Zion, and go round it, numbering its towers.

¹³Take note of its strong walls, looking well at its fair buildings; so that you may give word of it to the generation which comes after.

¹⁴Because this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide.

Psalm 49

¹Alamoth. To the chief music-maker. Of the sons of Korah. A Psalm. Give attention to this, all you peoples; let your ears be open, all you who are living in the world.

²High and low together, the poor, and those who have wealth.

³From my mouth will come words of wisdom; and in the thoughts of my heart will be knowledge.

⁴I will put my teaching into a story; I will make my dark sayings clear with music.

⁵What cause have I for fear in the days of evil, when the evil-doing of those who are working for my downfall is round about me?

⁶Even of those whose faith is in their wealth, and whose hearts are lifted up because of their stores.

⁷Truly, no man may get back his soul for a price, or give to God the payment for himself;

⁸(Because it takes a great price to keep his soul from death, and man is not able to give it.)

⁹So that he might have eternal life, and never see the underworld.

¹⁰For he sees that wise men come to their end, and foolish persons of low behaviour come to destruction together, letting their wealth go to others.

¹¹The place of the dead is their house for ever, and their resting-place through all generations; those who come after them give their names to their lands.

¹²But man, like the animals, does not go on for ever; he comes to an end like the beasts.

¹³This is the way of the foolish; their silver is for those who come after them, and their children get the pleasure of their gold. (Selah.)

¹⁴Death will give them their food like sheep; the underworld is their fate and they will go down into it; their flesh is food for worms; their form is wasted away; the underworld is their resting-place for ever.

¹⁵But God will get back my soul; for he will take me from the power of death. (Selah.)

¹⁶Have no fear when wealth comes to a man, and the glory of his house is increased;

¹⁷For at his death, he will take nothing away; his glory will not go down after him.

¹⁸Though he might have pride in his soul in his life-time, and men will give you praise if you do well for yourself,

¹⁹He will go to the generation of his fathers; he will not see the light again.

²⁰Man, like the animals, does not go on for ever; he comes to an end like the beasts.

Psalm 50

¹A Psalm. Of Asaph. The God of gods, even the Lord, has sent out his voice, and the earth is full of fear; from the coming up of the sun to its going down.

²From Zion, most beautiful of places, God has sent out his light.

³Our God will come, and will not keep quiet; with fire burning before him, and storm-winds round him.

⁴His voice will go out to the heavens and to the earth, for the judging of his people:

⁵Let my saints come together to me; those who have made an agreement with me by offerings.

⁶And let the heavens make clear his righteousness; for God himself is the judge. (Selah.)

⁷Give ear, O my people, to my words; O Israel, I will be a witness against you; I am God, even your God.

⁸I will not take up a cause against you because of your offerings, or because of your burned offerings, which are ever before me.

⁹I will take no ox out of your house, or he-goats from your flocks;

¹⁰For every beast of the woodland is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.

¹¹I see all the birds of the mountains, and the beasts of the field are mine.

¹²If I had need of food, I would not give you word of it; for the earth is mine and all its wealth.

¹³Am I to take the flesh of the ox for my food, or the blood of goats for my drink?

¹⁴Make an offering of praise to God; keep the agreements which you have made with the Most High;

¹⁵Let your voice come up to me in the day of trouble; I will be your saviour, so that you may give glory to me.

¹⁶But to the sinner, God says, What are you doing, talking of my laws, or taking the words of my agreement in your mouth?

¹⁷Seeing that you have no desire for my teaching, turning your back on my words.

¹⁸When you saw a thief, you were in agreement with him, and you were joined with those who took other men's wives.

¹⁹You have given your mouth to evil, your tongue to words of deceit.

²⁰You say evil of your brother; you make false statements against your mother's son.

²¹These things have you done, and I said nothing; it seemed to you that I was such a one as yourself; but I will make a protest against you, and put them in order before your eyes.

²²Now keep this in mind, you who have no memory of God, for fear that you may be crushed under my hand, with no one to give you help:

²³Whoever makes an offering of praise gives glory to me; and to him who is upright in his ways I will make clear the salvation of God.