Psalms 50

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

A Psalm of Asaph. God, [even] God, the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.

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

Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined 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 shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.

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

He shall call to the heavens above, and to 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.”

Gather my saints together unto me; those that 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 God is judge himself. (Selah)

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 unto thee: I am God, [even] 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 for thy sacrifices; and thy burnt offerings are continually 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 out of thy house, nor he-goats out of 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 every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon 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 fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are 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 were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.

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 unto God the sacrifice of thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto 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 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,

But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes; and that thou hast taken 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.

Seeing thou 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 sawest a thief, thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.

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

Thou givest 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; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: [but] I will reprove thee, and set [them] 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.

Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver:

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 the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifieth me; and to him that ordereth his conversation [aright] will I shew the salvation of God.