1A song; a Psalm of the sons of Korah. GREAT IS the Lord, and highly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain,
2Fair and beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth--Mount Zion [the City of David], to the northern side [Mount Moriah and the temple], the [whole] city of the Great King! [Matt. 5:35.]
3God has made Himself known in her palaces as a Refuge (a High Tower and a Stronghold).
4For, behold, the kings assembled, they came onward and they passed away together.
5They looked, they were amazed; they were stricken with terror and took to flight [affrighted and dismayed].
6Trembling took hold of them there, and pain as of a woman in childbirth.
7With the east wind You shattered the ships of Tarshish.
8As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it forever. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
9We have thought of Your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of Your temple.
10As is Your name, O God, so is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness (rightness and justice).
11Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of Your [righteous] judgments!
12Walk about Zion, and go round about her, number her towers (her lofty and noble deeds of past days),
13Consider well her ramparts, go through her palaces and citadels, that you may tell the next generation [and cease recalling disappointments].
14For this God is our God forever and ever; He will be our guide [even] until death.