Study Desk

A song. A psalm of the sons of Korah.

The Lord is great and highly praised in the city of our God.^(a) His holy mountain,

²rising splendidly, is the joy of the whole earth. Mount Zion on the slopes of the north is the city of the great King.^(b)

God is known as a stronghold in its citadels.^(c)

Look! The kings assembled; they advanced together.^(d)

They looked and froze with fear; they fled in terror.^(e)

Trembling seized them there, agony like that of a woman in labor,^(f)

as You wrecked the ships of Tarshish with the east wind.^(g)

Just as we heard, so we have seen in the city of Yahweh of Hosts, in the city of our God; God will establish it forever.^(h) Selah

God, within Your temple, we contemplate Your faithful love.⁽ⁱ⁾

Your name, God, like Your praise, reaches to the ends of the earth;^(j) Your right hand is filled with justice.^(k)

Mount Zion is glad. The towns^[a] of Judah rejoice because of Your judgments.^(l)

Go around Zion, encircle it; count its towers,

note its ramparts; tour its citadels so that you can tell a future generation:^(m)

"This God, our God forever and ever— He will always lead us."^[b](n)

For the choir director. A psalm of the sons of Korah.

Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who inhabit the world,^(a)

both low and high,^[a] rich and poor together.^(b)

My mouth speaks wisdom; my heart's meditation brings understanding.^(c)

I turn my ear to a proverb; I explain my riddle with a lyre.^(d)

Why should I fear in times of trouble? The iniquity of my foes surrounds me.^(e)

They trust in their wealth and boast of their abundant riches.^(f)

Yet these cannot redeem a person^[b] or pay his ransom to God^(g)—

since the price of redeeming him is too costly, one should forever stop trying^[c](h)—

so that he may live forever and not see the Pit.⁽ⁱ⁾

For one can see that wise men die; foolish and stupid men also pass away.^(j) Then they leave their wealth to others.^(k)

Their graves are their eternal homes,^[d] their homes from generation to generation, though they have named estates after themselves.^(l)

But despite his assets,^[e] man will not last; he is like the animals that perish.^(m)

This is the way of those who are arrogant, and of their followers, who approve of their words.^[f](n) Selah

Like sheep they are headed for Sheol; Death will shepherd them. The upright will rule over them in the morning,^(o) and their form will waste away in Sheol,^[g] far from their lofty abode.^(p)

But God will redeem my life from the power of Sheol, for He will take me.^(q) Selah

Do not be afraid when a man gets rich, when the wealth^[h] of his house increases.^(r)

For when he dies, he will take nothing at all; his wealth^[i] will not follow him down.^(s)

Though he praises himself during his lifetime— and people praise you when you do well for yourself^(t)—

he will go to the generation of his fathers; they will never see the light.^(u)

A man with valuable possessions^[j] but without understanding is like the animals that perish.^(v)