The Message Bible MSG
Young's Literal Translation YLT
1 God majestic, praise abounds in our God-city! His sacred mountain,
1
A Song, a Psalm, by sons of Korah. Great [is] Jehovah, and praised greatly, In the city of our God -- His holy hill.
2 breathtaking in its heights - earth's joy. Zion Mountain looms in the North, city of the world-King.
2
Beautiful [for] elevation, A joy of all the land, [is] Mount Zion, The sides of the north, the city of a great king.
3 God in his citadel peaks impregnable.
3
God in her high places is known for a tower.
4 The kings got together, they united and came.
4
For, lo, the kings met, they passed by together,
5 They took one look and shook their heads, they scattered and ran away.
5
They have seen -- so they have marvelled, They have been troubled, they were hastened away.
6 They doubled up in pain like a woman having a baby.
6
Trembling hath seized them there, Pain, as of a travailing woman.
7 You smashed the ships of Tarshish with a storm out of the East.
7
By an east wind Thou shiverest 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 we have seen, In the city of Jehovah of hosts, In the city of our God, God doth establish her -- to the age. Selah.
9 We pondered your love-in-action, God, waiting in your temple:
9
We have thought, O God, of Thy kindness, In the midst of Thy 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] Thy name, O God, so [is] Thy praise, Over the ends of the earth, Righteousness hath filled Thy right hand.
11 Be glad, Zion Mountain; Dance, Judah's daughters! He does what he said he'd do!
11
Rejoice doth Mount Zion, The daughters of Judah are joyful, For the sake of Thy judgments.
12 Circle Zion, take her measure, count her fortress peaks,
12
Compass Zion, and go round her, count her towers,
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
Set your heart to her bulwark, Consider her high places, So that ye recount to a later generation,
14 Our God forever, who guides us till the end of time.
14
That this God [is] our God -- To the age and for ever, He -- he doth lead us over 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.
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.