1 The Lord is great.

He should be highly praised.

His holy mountain is in the city of our God.

2 Its beautiful peak is the joy of the whole earth.

Mount Zion is on the northern ridge.

It is the city of the great king.

3 God is in its palaces.

He has proved that he is a stronghold.

4 The kings have gathered.

They marched together.

5  ⌞When⌟ they saw ⌞Mount Zion⌟,

they were astonished.

They were terrified and ran away in fear.

6 Trembling seized them

like the trembling that a woman experiences during labor.

7 With the east wind you smash the ships of Tarshish.

8 The things we had only heard about, we have now seen

in the city of the Lord of Armies,

in the city of our God.

God makes Zion stand firm forever.

9 Inside your temple we carefully reflect on your mercy, O God.

10 Like your name, O God,

your praise ⌞reaches⌟ to the ends of the earth.

Your right hand is filled with righteousness.

11 Let Mount Zion be glad

and the cities of Judah rejoice

because of your judgments.

12 Walk around Zion.

Go around it.

Count its towers.

13 Examine its embankments.

Walk through its palaces.

Then you can tell the next generation,

14 “This God is our God forever and ever.

He will lead us beyond death.”