Psalms 50

1 A Psalm of Asaph. The God of gods, the Lord has spoken, and he has called the earth, from the rising of the sun even to its setting,

A Psalm. Of Asaph. The God of gods, even the Lord, has sent out his voice, and the earth is full of fear; from the coming up of the sun to its going down.

2 from Zion, the brilliance of his beauty.

From Zion, most beautiful of places, God has sent out his light.

3 God will arrive manifestly. Our God also will not keep silence. A fire will flare up in his sight, and a mighty tempest will surround him.

Our God will come, and will not keep quiet; with fire burning before him, and storm-winds round him.

4 He will call to heaven from above, and to the earth, to discern his people.

His voice will go out to the heavens and to the earth, for the judging of his people:

5 Gather his holy ones to him, you who order his covenant above sacrifices.

Let my saints come together to me; those who have made an agreement with me by offerings.

6 And the heavens will announce his justice. For God is the judge.

And let the heavens make clear his righteousness; for God himself is the judge. (Selah)

7 Listen, my people, and I will speak. Listen, Israel, and I will testify for you. I am God, your God.

Give ear, O my people, to my words; O Israel, I will be a witness against you; I am God, even your God.

8 I will not reprove you for your sacrifices. Moreover, your holocausts are ever in my sight.

I will not take up a cause against you because of your offerings, or because of your burned offerings, which are ever before me.

9 I will not accept calves from your house, nor he-goats from your flocks.

I will take no ox out of your house, or he-goats from your flocks;

10 For all the wild beasts of the forest are mine: the cattle on the hills and the oxen.

For every beast of the woodland is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.

11 I know all the flying things of the air, and the beauty of the field is with me.

I see all the birds of the mountains, and the beasts of the field are mine.

12 If I should be hungry, I would not tell you: for the whole world is mine, and all its plentitude.

If I had need of food, I would not give you word of it; for the earth is mine and all its wealth.

13 Shall I gnaw on the flesh of bulls? Or would I drink the blood of goats?

Am I to take the flesh of the ox for my food, or the blood of goats for my drink?

14 Offer to God the sacrifice of praise, and pay your vows to the Most High.

Make an offering of praise to God; keep the agreements which you have made with the Most High;

15 And call upon me in the day of tribulation. I will rescue you, and you will honor me.

Let your voice come up to me in the day of trouble; I will be your saviour, so that you may give glory to me.

16 But to the sinner, God has said: Why do you discourse on my justices, and take up my covenant through your mouth?

But to the sinner, God says, What are you doing, talking of my laws, or taking the words of my agreement in your mouth?

17 Truly, you have hated discipline, and you have cast my sermons behind you.

Seeing that you have no desire for my teaching, turning your back on my words.

18 If you saw a thief, you ran with him, and you have placed your portion with adulterers.

When you saw a thief, you were in agreement with him, and you were joined with those who took other men's wives.

19 Your mouth has abounded with malice, and your tongue has concocted deceits.

You have given your mouth to evil, your tongue to words of deceit.

20 Sitting, you spoke against your brother, and you set up a scandal against your mother’s son.

You say evil of your brother; you make false statements against your mother's son.

21 These things you have done, and I was silent. You thought, unjustly, that I ought to be like you. But I will reprove you, and I will set myself against your face.

These things have you done, and I said nothing; it seemed to you that I was such a one as yourself; but I will make a protest against you, and put them in order before your eyes.

22 Understand these things, you who forget God; lest at any time, he might quickly take you away, and there would be no one to rescue you.

Now keep this in mind, you who have no memory of God, for fear that you may be crushed under my hand, with no one to give you help:

23 The sacrifice of praise will honor me. And in that place is the journey by which I will reveal to him the salvation of God.

Whoever makes an offering of praise gives glory to me; and to him who is upright in his ways I will make clear the salvation of God.