TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 48

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1A song. A psalm of the Korahites.

אשִׁיר מִזְמוֹר לִבְנֵי־קֹרַח׃

2Hashem is great and much acclaimed in the city of our God, His holy mountain—

בגָּדוֹל יְהֹוָה וּמְהֻלָּל מְאֹד בְּעִיר אֱלֹהֵינוּ הַר־קָדְשׁוֹ׃

3fair-crested, joy of all the earth, Mount Tzion, summit of Zaphon, city of the great king.

גיְפֵה נוֹף מְשׂוֹשׂ כָּל־הָאָרֶץ הַר־צִיּוֹן יַרְכְּתֵי צָפוֹן קִרְיַת מֶלֶךְ רָב׃

4Through its citadels, Hashem has made Himself known as a haven.

דאֱלֹהִים בְּאַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ נוֹדַע לְמִשְׂגָּב׃

5See, the kings joined forces; they advanced together.

הכִּי־הִנֵּה הַמְּלָכִים נוֹעֲדוּ עָבְרוּ יַחְדָּו׃

6At the mere sight of it they were stunned, they were terrified, they panicked;

והֵמָּה רָאוּ כֵּן תָּמָהוּ נִבְהֲלוּ נֶחְפָּזוּ׃

7they were seized there with a trembling, like a woman in the throes of labor,

זרְעָדָה אֲחָזָתַם שָׁם חִיל כַּיּוֹלֵדָה׃

8as the Tarshish fleet was wrecked in an easterly gale.

חבְּרוּחַ קָדִים תְּשַׁבֵּר אֳנִיּוֹת תַּרְשִׁישׁ׃

9The likes of what we heard we have now witnessed in the city of the lord of hosts, in the city of our God— may Hashem preserve it forever! Selah.

ka-a-SHER sha-MA-nu KAYN ra-EE-nu b'-EER a-do-NAI tz'-va-OT b'-EER e-lo-HAY-nu e-lo-HEEM y'-kho-n'-NE-ha ad o-LAM SE-lah

טכַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְנוּ כֵּן רָאִינוּ בְּעִיר־יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת בְּעִיר אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֱלֹהִים יְכוֹנְנֶהָ עַד־עוֹלָם סֶלָה׃

 48:9   May Hashem preserve it forever

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (b. 1948)

In the times of the Beit Hamikdash, a special psalm was sung by the Leviim on each of the seven days of the week. In the absence of the Beit Hamikdash, Jews continue to say these daily Tehillim at the end of the morning prayers, in memory of the times when the Temple stood and in hopes of its redemption and restoration. Psalm 48 is recited on Mondays, and, as Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks writes, is “a hymn of praise to the beauty and endurance of Yerushalayim, the city that outlived all those who sought to conquer it.” He adds in the name of Rabbi Joseph Hertz, “it is the Eternal City of the Eternal People.”

10In Your temple, Hashem, we meditate upon Your faithful care.

ידִּמִּינוּ אֱלֹהִים חַסְדֶּךָ בְּקֶרֶב הֵיכָלֶךָ׃

11The praise of You, Hashem, like Your name, reaches to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is filled with beneficence.

יאכְּשִׁמְךָ אֱלֹהִים כֵּן תְּהִלָּתְךָ עַל־קַצְוֵי־אֶרֶץ צֶדֶק מָלְאָה יְמִינֶךָ׃

12Let Mount Tzion rejoice! Let the towns of Yehuda exult, because of Your judgments.

יביִשְׂמַח הַר־צִיּוֹן תָּגֵלְנָה בְּנוֹת יְהוּדָה לְמַעַן מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ׃

13Walk around Tzion, circle it; count its towers,

יגסֹבּוּ צִיּוֹן וְהַקִּיפוּהָ סִפְרוּ מִגְדָּלֶיהָ׃

14take note of its ramparts; go through its citadels, that you may recount it to a future age.

ידשִׁיתוּ לִבְּכֶם לְחֵילָה פַּסְּגוּ אַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ לְמַעַן תְּסַפְּרוּ לְדוֹר אַחֲרוֹן׃

15For Hashem—He is our God forever; He will lead us evermore.

טוכִּי זֶה אֱלֹהִים אֱלֹהֵינוּ עוֹלָם וָעֶד הוּא יְנַהֲגֵנוּ עַל־מוּת׃