Psalms 50
1 A PSALM OF ASAPH. The God of gods—YHWH—has spoken, And He calls to the earth From the rising of the sun to its going in.
God, the all-powerful one, speaks; he summons all people, from the east to the west.
2 From Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shone.
His glory shines from Zion [Hill in Jerusalem], an extremely beautiful city.
3 Our God comes, and is not silent, Fire devours before Him, And around Him it has been very tempestuous.
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 calls to the heavens from 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 My saints to Me, Making covenant with Me over a 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 declare His righteousness, For God Himself is judging. (Selah)
The [angels in] heaven declare, “God is righteous, and he is the supreme judge.”
7 Hear, O My people, and I speak, O Israel, and I testify against you, God—I [am] 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 reprove you for your sacrifices, Indeed, your 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 do not take a bullock from your house, [Or] male goats from your folds.
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 livestock on the hills of oxen.
because all the animals in the forest belong to me, [and all] the cattle on 1,000 hills also belong to me.
11 I have known every bird of the mountains, And the wild beast of the field [is] with Me.
I [own and] know all the birds and all [the creatures] that move around in the fields.
12 If I am hungry I do not tell [it] to you, For the world and its fullness [is] Mine.
[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, And drink the blood of male 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 to God confession, And complete 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 And call Me in a day of adversity, I deliver you, and you 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 And to the wicked God has said: What to you—to recount My statutes? That you lift up My covenant on your 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 Indeed, you have hated 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 If you have seen a thief, Then you are pleased with him, And your portion [is] 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 have sent forth your mouth with evil, And your tongue joins deceit together,
You are [always] talking [MTY] about doing wicked things, and you are [always] to deceive people.
20 You sit, you speak against your brother, You give slander against a son of your mother.
You are always accusing members of your own family [of doing wrong], and slandering them.
21 These you did, and I kept silent, You have thought that I am like you, I reprove you, and set in array before your 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 Now understand this, You who are forgetting God, Lest I tear, and there is no deliverer.
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 is sacrificing praise honors Me, As for him who makes a way, I cause him to look on 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.”
