Psalms 50

1 God, the all-powerful one, speaks; he summons all people, from the east to the west.

A Psalm for Asaph. The God of gods, the Lord, has spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun to the going down [thereof].

2 His glory shines from Zion [Hill in Jerusalem], an extremely beautiful city.

Out of Sion [comes] the excellence of his beauty.

3 Our God comes to us, and he is not silent. A great fire is in front of him, and a storm is around him.

God, our God, shall come manifestly, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall be kindled before him, and round about him there shall be a very great tempest.

4 He comes to judge his people. He shouts to the [angels in] heaven and to [the people on] the earth.

He shall summon the heaven above, and the earth, that he may judge his people.

5 He says, “Summon those who faithfully [worship] me, those who made an agreement with me by offering sacrifices to me.”

Assemble ye his saints to him, those that have engaged in a covenant with him upon sacrifices.

6 The [angels in] heaven declare, “God is righteous, and he is the supreme judge.”

And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge. (Pause)

7 God says, “My people, listen! You Israeli people, listen, as I, your God, say what you have done that is wrong.

Hear, my people, and I will speak to thee, O Israel: and I will testify to thee: I am God, thy God.

8 I am not rebuking you for making sacrifices to me, for the offerings that you completely burn [on the altar].

I will not reprove thee on account of thy sacrifices; for thy whole-burnt-offerings are before me continually.

9 But I do not really need [you to sacrifice] the bulls from your barns and the goats from your pens,

I will take no bullocks out of thine house, nor he-goats out of thy flocks.

10 because all the animals in the forest belong to me, [and all] the cattle on 1,000 hills also belong to me.

For all the wild beasts of the thicket are mine, the cattle on the mountains, and oxen.

11 I [own and] know all the birds and all [the creatures] that move around in the fields.

I know all the birds of the sky; and the beauty of the field is mine.

12 [So], if I were hungry, I would not tell you [to bring me some food], because everything in the world belongs to me!

If I should be hungry, I will not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fullness of it.

13 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].

Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

14 The sacrifice [that I really want is that] you thank me and do all that you have promised to do.

Offer to God the sacrifice of praise; and pay thy vows to the Most High.

15 And pray to me when you have troubles. [If you do that], I will rescue you, and [then] you will praise me.

And call upon me in the day of affliction; and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. (Pause)

16 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,

But to the sinner God has said, Why dost thou declare my ordinances, and take up my covenant in thy mouth?

17 because you have refused to allow me to discipline you, and you have rejected what I told you to do.

Whereas thou hast hated instruction, and hast cast my words behind [thee].

18 Every time that you see a thief, you become his friend, and you spend [much] time with those who commit adultery.

If thou sawest a thief, thou rannest along with him, and hast cast in thy lot with adulterers.

19 You are [always] talking [MTY] about doing wicked things, and you are [always] to deceive people.

Thy mouth has multiplied wickedness, and thy tongue has framed deceit.

20 You are always accusing members of your own family [of doing wrong], and slandering them.

Thou didst sit and speak against thy brother, and didst scandalize thy mother's son.

21 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.

These things thou didst, and I kept silence: thou thoughtest wickedly that I should be like thee, [but] I will reprove thee, and set [thine offences] before thee.

22 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.

Now consider these things, ye that forget God, lest he rend [you], and there is no deliverer.

23 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.”

The sacrifice of praise will glorify me: and that is the way wherein I will shew to him the salvation of God.