Psalms 50
1 God, the all-powerful one, speaks; he summons all people, from the east to the west.
“A psalm of Asaph.” The mighty God, Jehovah, speaketh, and calleth the earth, From the rising of the sun to its going down.
2 His glory shines from Zion [Hill in Jerusalem], an extremely beautiful city.
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shineth forth.
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.
Our God cometh, and will not be silent; Before him is a devouring fire, And around him a raging tempest.
4 He comes to judge his people. He shouts to the [angels in] heaven and to [the people on] the earth.
He calleth to the heavens on high, And to the earth, while he judgeth his people:
5 He says, “Summon those who faithfully [worship] me, those who made an agreement with me by offering sacrifices to me.”
“Gather together before me my godly ones, Who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice!”
6 The [angels in] heaven declare, “God is righteous, and he is the supreme judge.”
(And the heavens shall declare his righteousness, For it is God himself that 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, O my people, and I will speak! O Israel, and I will testify against thee! For I am God, thine own God.
8 I am not rebuking you for making sacrifices to me, for the offerings that you completely burn [on the altar].
I reprove thee not on account of thy sacrifices; For thy burnt-offerings are ever before me.
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 bullock from thy house, Nor he-goat from thy folds;
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 beasts of the forest are mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills.
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 mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are before me.
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 were hungry, I would not tell thee; For the world is mine, and all that is therein.
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].
Do 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 thanksgiving, 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.
Then call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me!”
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,
And to the wicked God saith, “To what purpose dost thou talk of my statutes? And why hast thou my laws upon thy lips?—
17 because you have refused to allow me to discipline you, and you have rejected what I told you to do.
Thou, who hatest instruction And castest 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.
When thou seest a thief, thou art in friendship with him, And hast fellowship with adulterers.
19 You are [always] talking [MTY] about doing wicked things, and you are [always] to deceive people.
Thou lettest loose thy mouth to evil, And thy tongue frameth deceit;
20 You are always accusing members of your own family [of doing wrong], and slandering them.
Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; Thou slanderest thine own 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 hast thou done, and I kept silence; Hence thou thoughtest that I was altogether like thyself: But I will reprove thee, and set it in order before thine eyes.
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.
Mark this, ye that forget God, Lest I tear you in pieces, and none deliver you!
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.”
Whoso offereth praise honoreth me; And to him who hath regard to his ways Will I show salvation from God.”
