The Message Bible MSG
World English Bible WEB
1 God majestic, praise abounds in our God-city! His sacred mountain,
1
<<A Song. A Psalm by the sons of Korah.>> Great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, in his holy mountain.
2 breathtaking in its heights - earth's joy. Zion Mountain looms in the North, city of the world-King.
2
Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion, on the north sides, The city of the great King.
3 God in his citadel peaks impregnable.
3
God has shown himself in her citadels as a refuge.
4 The kings got together, they united and came.
4
For, behold, the kings assembled themselves, They passed by together.
5 They took one look and shook their heads, they scattered and ran away.
5
They saw it, then were they amazed. They were dismayed, They hurried away.
6 They doubled up in pain like a woman having a baby.
6
Trembling took hold of them there, Pain, as of a woman in travail.
7 You smashed the ships of Tarshish with a storm out of the East.
7
With the east wind, you break the ships of Tarshish.
8 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.
8
As we have heard, so have we seen, In the city of Yahweh of Hosts, in the city of our God. God will establish it forever. Selah.
9 We pondered your love-in-action, God, waiting in your temple:
9
We have thought about your lovingkindness, God, In the midst of your temple.
10 Your name, God, evokes a train of Hallelujahs wherever It is spoken, near and far; your arms are heaped with goodness-in-action.
10
As is your name, God, So is your praise to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is full of righteousness.
11 Be glad, Zion Mountain; Dance, Judah's daughters! He does what he said he'd do!
11
Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice, Because of your judgments.
12 Circle Zion, take her measure, count her fortress peaks,
12
Walk about Zion, and go around her. Number the towers of it;
13 Gaze long at her sloping bulwark, climb her citadel heights - Then you can tell the next generation detail by detail the story of God,
13
Mark well her bulwarks. Consider her palaces, That you may tell it to the next generation.
14 Our God forever, who guides us till the end of time.
14
For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even to death.
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.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.