Psalms 50
1 “A psalm of Assaph.” The God of gods, the Lord, speaketh, and calleth the earth, from the rising of the sun unto his setting.
God, the all-powerful one, speaks; he summons all people, from the east to the west.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shineth forth.
His glory shines from Zion [Hill in Jerusalem], an extremely beautiful city.
3 Our God is coming, and will not keep silence: a fire devoureth before him, and round him there rageth a mighty storm.
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 will call to the heavens above, and to the earth, to 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 together unto me my pious servants, who make 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 tell of his righteousness; for God is judge himself. (Selah)
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 thee: God, thy God, am I.
God says, “My people, listen! You Israeli people, listen, as I, your God, say what you have done that is wrong.
8 Not because of thy sacrifices will I reprove thee; and thy burnt-offerings are continually before me.
I am not rebuking you for making sacrifices to me, for the offerings that you completely burn [on the altar].
9 I will not take a bullock out of thy house, nor he-goats out of thy folds.
But I do not really need [you to sacrifice] the bulls from your barns and the goats from your pens,
10 For mine are all the beasts of the forest, the cattle upon a thousand mountains.
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 all the fowls of the mountains: whatever moveth on the fields is with me.
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 say it to thee; for mine is the world, and what filleth it.
[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 fatted bulls, or drink the blood of he-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 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay unto the Most High thy vows;
The sacrifice [that I really want is that] you thank me and do all that you have promised to do.
15 And call on me on the day of distress: I will deliver thee, — and so wilt thou glorify me.”
And pray to me when you have troubles. [If you do that], I will rescue you, and [then] you will praise me.
16 But unto the wicked God saith, “What hast thou to do to relate my statutes, and why bearest thou my covenant upon thy mouth?
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 And yet thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee.
because you have refused to allow me to discipline you, and you have rejected what I told you to do.
18 When thou seest a thief, then art thou pleased with him, and with adulterers hast thou thy portion.
Every time that you see a thief, you become his friend, and you spend [much] time with those who commit adultery.
19 Thou lettest loose thy mouth with evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.
You are [always] talking [MTY] about doing wicked things, and you are [always] to deceive people.
20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; against thy own mother's son thou utterest slander.
You are always accusing members of your own family [of doing wrong], and slandering them.
21 These things hast thou done, and I kept silence: thou didst ween that I am like thyself; [but] I will reprove thee, and set it in order before thy eyes.”
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 Do but reflect on this, ye that forget God, lest I tear [you] in pieces, with none to deliver.
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 Whoso offereth thanksgiving glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his course aright, will I 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.”
