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.
God, the all-powerful one, speaks; he summons all people, from the east to the west.
2 From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.
His glory shines from Zion [Hill in Jerusalem], an extremely beautiful city.
3 Our God approaches and will not be silent! Consuming fire precedes Him, and a tempest rages around Him.
Our God comes to us, and he is not silent. A great fire is in front of him, and a storm is around him.
4 He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that He may judge His people:
He comes to judge his people. He shouts to the [angels in] heaven and to [the people on] the earth.
5 “Gather to Me My saints, who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”
He says, “Summon those who faithfully [worship] me, those who made an agreement with me by offering sacrifices to me.”
6 And the heavens proclaim His righteousness, for God Himself is Judge.
The [angels in] heaven declare, “God is righteous, and he is the supreme judge.”
7 “Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God.
God says, “My people, listen! You Israeli people, listen, as I, your God, say what you have done that is wrong.
8 I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices, and your burnt offerings are ever before Me.
I am not rebuking you for making sacrifices to me, for the offerings that you completely burn [on the altar].
9 I have no need for a bull from your stall or goats from your pens,
But I do not really need [you to sacrifice] the bulls from your barns and the goats from your pens,
10 for every beast of the forest is Mine— the cattle on a thousand hills.
because all the animals in the forest belong to me, [and all] the cattle on 1,000 hills also belong to me.
11 I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are Mine.
I [own and] know all the birds and all [the creatures] that move around in the fields.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and the fullness thereof.
[So], if I were hungry, I would not tell you [to bring me some food], because everything in the world belongs to me!
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
I do not eat the flesh of the bulls [that you sacrifice], and I do not drink the blood of the goats [that you offer to me].
14 Sacrifice a thank offering to God, and fulfill your vows to the Most High.
The sacrifice [that I really want is that] you thank me and do all that you have promised to do.
15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
And pray to me when you have troubles. [If you do that], I will rescue you, and [then] you will praise 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 I say this to the wicked people: (Why do you/It does not benefit you at all to) [RHQ] recite my commandments or talk about the agreement that I made with you,
17 For you hate My instruction and cast My words behind you.
because you have refused to allow me to discipline you, and you have rejected what I told you to do.
18 When you see a thief, you befriend him, and throw in your lot with adulterers.
Every time that you see a thief, you become his friend, and you spend [much] time with those who commit adultery.
19 You unleash your mouth for evil and unharness your tongue for deceit.
You are [always] talking [MTY] about doing wicked things, and you are [always] to deceive people.
20 You sit and malign your brother; you slander your own mother’s son.
You are always accusing members of your own family [of doing wrong], and slandering them.
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.
You did [all] those things, and I did not say anything to you, [so] you thought that I was [a sinner] just like you. But now I rebuke you and accuse you, right in front of you.
22 Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:
So, all you who have ignored me, pay attention to this, because if you do not, I will tear you to pieces, and there will be no one to rescue you.
23 He who sacrifices a thank offering honors Me, and to him who rights his way, I will show the salvation of God.”
The sacrifice that [truly] honors me is to thank me [for what I have done]; and I will save those who always do the things that I want them to.”
