New International Version  
Psalm 48
A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.
1Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise,
in the city of our God, his holy mountain.
2It is beautiful in its loftiness,
the joy of the whole earth.
Like the utmost heights of ZaphonZaphon can refer to a sacred mountain or the direction north. is Mount Zion,
theOr earth, / Mount Zion, on the northern side / of the city of the Great King.
3God is in her citadels;
he has shown himself to be her fortress.
4When the kings joined forces,
when they advanced together,
5they saw her and were astounded;
they fled in terror.
6Trembling seized them there,
pain like that of a woman in labor.
7You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish
shattered by an east wind.
8As we have heard,
so have we seen
in the city of the LORD Almighty,
in the city of our God:
God makes her secure forever.
Selah
9Within your temple, O God,
we meditate on your unfailing love.
10Like your name, O God,
your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;
your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11Mount Zion rejoices,
the villages of Judah are glad
because of your judgments.
12Walk about Zion, go around her,
count her towers,
13consider well her ramparts,
view her citadels,
that you may tell of them to the next generation.
14For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide even to the end.
Psalm 49
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1Hear this, all you peoples;
listen, all who live in this world,
2both low and high,
rich and poor alike:
3My mouth will speak words of wisdom;
the utterance from my heart will give understanding.
4I will turn my ear to a proverb;
with the harp I will expound my riddle:
5Why should I fear when evil days come,
when wicked deceivers surround me—
6those who trust in their wealth
and boast of their great riches?
7No man can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for him—
8the ransom for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough—
9that he should live on forever
and not see decay.
10For all can see that wise men die;
the foolish and the senseless alike perish
and leave their wealth to others.
11Their tombs will remain their housesSeptuagint and Syriac; Hebrew In their thoughts their houses will remain forever,
their dwellings for endless generations,
though they hadOr / for they have named lands after themselves.
12But man, despite his riches, does not endure;
he isHebrew; Septuagint and Syriac read verse 12 the same as verse 20. like the beasts that perish.
13This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,
and of their followers, who approve their sayings.
Selah
14Like sheep they are destined for the grave,Hebrew Sheol; also in verse 15
and death will feed on them.
The upright will rule over them in the morning;
their forms will decay in the grave,Hebrew Sheol; also in verse 15
far from their princely mansions.
15But God will redeem my lifeOr soul from the grave;
he will surely take me to himself.
Selah
16Do not be overawed when a man grows rich,
when the splendor of his house increases;
17for he will take nothing with him when he dies,
his splendor will not descend with him.
18Though while he lived he counted himself blessed—
and men praise you when you prosper—
19he will join the generation of his fathers,
who will never see the light of life.
20A man who has riches without understanding
is like the beasts that perish.
Psalm 50
A psalm of Asaph.
1The Mighty One, God, the LORD,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.
2From Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth.
3Our God comes and will not be silent;
a fire devours before him,
and around him a tempest rages.
4He summons the heavens above,
and the earth, that he may judge his people:
5“Gather to me my consecrated ones,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
6And the heavens proclaim his righteousness,
for God himself is judge.
Selah
7“Hear, O my people, and I will speak,
O Israel, and I will testify against you:
I am God, your God.
8I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices
or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.
9I have no need of a bull from your stall
or of goats from your pens,
10for every animal of the forest is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.
11I know every bird in the mountains,
and the creatures of the field are mine.
12If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
13Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14Sacrifice thank offerings to God,
fulfill your vows to the Most High,
15and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
16But to the wicked, God says:
“What right have you to recite my laws
or take my covenant on your lips?
17You hate my instruction
and cast my words behind you.
18When you see a thief, you join with him;
you throw in your lot with adulterers.
19You use your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue to deceit.
20You speak continually against your brother
and slander your own mother's son.
21These things you have done and I kept silent;
you thought I was altogetherOr thought the ‘I am’ was like you.
But I will rebuke you
and accuse you to your face.
22“Consider this, you who forget God,
or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue:
23He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me,
and he prepares the way
so that I may show himOr and to him who considers his way / I will show the salvation of God.”
 
 

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