< Psalms 50 >
1 A Psalm of Asaph. The Mighty One, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from where the sun rises to where it sets.
A psalm of Asaph. The Lord God has spoken: He summons the earth from sunrise to sunset.
2 From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.
From Zion, perfection of beauty, God’s glory shines forth.
3 Our God approaches and will not be silent! Consuming fire precedes Him, and a tempest rages around Him.
Our God comes, he cannot keep silence, devouring fire is before him, and furious tempest around him.
4 He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that He may judge His people:
He summons the heavens above and the earth to judge his people.
5 “Gather to Me My saints, who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”
Gather to him his saints by covenant-sacrifice bound to him;
6 And the heavens proclaim His righteousness, for God Himself is Judge.
that the heavens may declare his justice, for a God of justice is he. (Selah)
7 “Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God.
“Hear, O my people, and I will speak, and protest to you, O Israel: I am the Lord, your God.
8 I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices, and your burnt offerings are ever before Me.
Not for your sacrifices will I reprove you your burnt-offerings are ever before me
9 I have no need for a bull from your stall or goats from your pens,
Not a bullock will I take from your house, nor male goats out of your folds;
10 for every beast of the forest is Mine— the cattle on a thousand hills.
for all beasts of the forest are mine, and the kine on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are Mine.
I know all the birds of the air, all that moves on the fields is mine.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and the fullness thereof.
Were I hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fulness are mine.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
Am I such as to eat bulls’ flesh, or drink the blood of goats?
14 Sacrifice a thank offering to God, and fulfill your vows to the Most High.
Offer to God a thank-offering, pay the Most High your vows.
15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
Summon me in the day of distress, I will rescue you, so will you honor me.”
16 To the wicked, however, God says, “What right have you to recite My statutes and to bear My covenant on your lips?
But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to talk of my statutes, or take my covenant into your mouth
17 For you hate My instruction and cast My words behind you.
while you yourself hate correction, and cast my words behind you?
18 When you see a thief, you befriend him, and throw in your lot with adulterers.
When you see a thief, you run with them; with adulterers you keep company.
19 You unleash your mouth for evil and unharness your tongue for deceit.
You let your mouth loose for evil, your tongue contrives deceit.
20 You sit and malign your brother; you slander your own mother’s son.
You shamefully speak of your kin, and slander your own mother’s son.
21 You have done these things, and I kept silent; you thought I was just like you. But now I rebuke you and accuse you to your face.
And because I kept silence at this, you did take me for one like yourself. But I will convict you and show you plainly.
22 Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:
“Now you who forget God, mark this, lest I rend you, past hope of deliverance.
23 He who sacrifices a thank offering honors Me, and to him who rights his way, I will show the salvation of God.”
Those who bring a thank-offering honor me; but to those: who follows my way, I will show the salvation of God.”