Zion stands by hills surrounded is a five stanza hymn written by Thomas Kelly on the security of the Church of Christ, based on the text of Psalm 125:2. The hymn was first published in the second edition of Kelly's Hymns on Various Passages of Scripture in 1806, and later appeared as number 136 in the 1853 edition. Known for its vigorous tone and widespread use across English and American hymnals, the text is frequently used in its full form as well as in several notable centos. A common American variant begins with the second stanza, "Every human tie may perish," while another slight textual revision appears as "Sion stands with hills surrounded." Additionally, an altered four stanza version beginning "On the Rock of Ages founded" was included in the 1874 Supplement to the New Congregational Hymn Book.
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