English Standard Version ESV
The Message Bible MSG
1 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain,
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God majestic, praise abounds in our God-city! His sacred mountain,
2 beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King.
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breathtaking in its heights - earth's joy. Zion Mountain looms in the North, city of the world-King.
3 Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress.
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God in his citadel peaks impregnable.
4 For behold, the kings assembled; they came on together.
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The kings got together, they united and came.
5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic; they took to flight.
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They took one look and shook their heads, they scattered and ran away.
6 Trembling took hold of them there, anguish as of a woman in labor.
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They doubled up in pain like a woman having a baby.
7 By the east wind you shattered the ships of Tarshish.
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You smashed the ships of Tarshish with a storm out of the East.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God, which God will establish forever. Selah
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We heard about it, then we saw it with our eyes - In God's city of angel armies, in the city our God Set on firm foundations, firm forever.
9 We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.
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We pondered your love-in-action, God, waiting in your temple:
10 As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
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Your name, God, evokes a train of Hallelujahs wherever It is spoken, near and far; your arms are heaped with goodness-in-action.
11 Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments!
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Be glad, Zion Mountain; Dance, Judah's daughters! He does what he said he'd do!
12 Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers,
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Circle Zion, take her measure, count her fortress peaks,
13 consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, that you may tell the next generation
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Gaze long at her sloping bulwark, climb her citadel heights - Then you can tell the next generation detail by detail the story of God,
14 that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.
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Our God forever, who guides us till the end of time.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.