Psalms 50

1 A Melody of Asaph. El, Elohim, Yahweh, hath spoken, and culled the earth, From the rising of the sun, unto the going in thereof:

A psalm of Asaph. The Lord, the Almighty God, speaks! He summons everyone on earth, from the east to the west.

2 Out of Zion the perfection of beauty, God, hath shone forth.

God shines out of Mount Zion, perfect in beauty.

3 Let our God come, and let him not keep silence! A fire—before him, shall devour, And, around him, hath it become exceeding tempestuous:

Our God arrives, and does not stay quiet. Fire flames before him, burning everything up; a violent storm rages around him.

4 He calleth, Unto the heavens above, And unto the earth, That he may judge his people.

He summons the heavens above and the earth to witness the judgment of his people.

5 Gather yourselves unto me—ye my men of lovingkindness, Who have solemnised my covenant over sacrifice.

“Bring me those who trust in me—those who confirmed the agreement with me through sacrifice.”

6 Now have the heavens declared his righteousness, Because, God, is, about to judge. (Selah)

The heavens declare his decisions are right, for God himself is the judge. (Selah)

7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will adjure thee, God, thine own God, I am: —

“My people, listen to what I have to say. I am bringing charges against you, Israel. I am God, your God!

8 Not, for thy sacrifices, will I reprove thee, Nor for thine ascending-offerings, before me continually:

I'm not complaining about your sacrifices or burnt offerings that you offer all the time.

9 I will not take out of thy house—a bullock, Nor out of thy folds—he-goats;

I do not require bulls from your barns or goats from your pens,

10 For, mine, is every wild-beast of the forest, The cattle on the mountains, in their thousands;

for I own all the animals of the forest, and the cattle on a thousand hills belong to me.

11 I know every bird of the mountains, And, the moving things of the plain, are with me:

I know every bird of the mountains; all living things in the fields are mine.

12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee, For, mine, is the world, and the fulness thereof.

If I were hungry, I wouldn't tell you, for the earth and everything in it are mine.

13 Will I eat the flesh of mighty oxen? Or, the blood of he-goats, will I drink?

Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?

14 Sacrifice to God a thankoffering, And pay to the Most High thy vows;

Give an offering of thanks to God; keep the promises you made to the Most High,

15 Call upon me, then, in the day of distress, I will deliver thee, that thou mayest glorify me.

and call on me when you're in trouble. I will rescue you, and you will thank me.”

16 But, to the lawless one, God saith, What hast, thou, to do, to recount my statutes? Or that thou hast taken up my covenant upon thy mouth?

But to the wicked God says, “What's the point of mechanically repeating my laws or making empty promises about obeying the agreement?

17 Seeing that, thou, hast hated correction, And hast cast my words behind thee;

You hate my discipline, and you toss my words away, leaving them behind you.

18 If thou sawest a thief, then didst thou run with him, —And, with adulterers, hath been thy chosen life;

When you see people stealing, you admire them; you associate with adulterers.

19 Thy mouth, hast thou thrust into wickedness, And, thy tongue, kept weaving deceit;

With your mouth you say evil things; you use your tongue to spread lies.

20 Thou wouldst sit down—Against thine own brother, wouldst thou speak, Against thine own mother’s son, wouldst thou expose a fault: —

You sit there and speak against your brother, slandering your own mother's son.

21 These things, hast thou done, and I have kept silence, Thou thoughtest that I should really be like thyself, I will convict thee, yea I will set [thine offences] in order before thine eyes.

I kept quiet when you did these things. You thought I was someone just like you. But now I confront you, and bring my charges against you.

22 Understand this, I pray you, ye forgetters of GOD, Lest I tear in pieces, and there be none to deliver: —

Think again, you people who dismiss God, or I will tear you apart, and no-one will be able to save you.

23 He that sacrificeth a thankoffering, will glorify me, —And will prepare a way by which I may show him the salvation of God.

But those who give an offering of thanks honor me, and to those who follow the right I will show them the salvation of God.”