Psalm 50
God as Judge
A psalm of Asaph. e
1 The Mighty One, God, S the LORD, speaks;
he summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting. f
2 From Zion, the perfection of beauty,
3 Our God is coming; he will not be silent!
Devouring fire precedes him,
and a storm rages around him. h
4 On high, he summons heaven and earth
in order to judge his people: i
5 “Gather my faithful ones to me,
those who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” j
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness, k
for God is the Judge. l Selah
7 “Listen, my people, and I will speak;
I will testify against you, Israel.
I am God, your God. m
8 I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices
or for your burnt offerings,
which are continually before me. n
9 I will not take a bull from your household
or male goats from your pens, o
10 for every animal of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird of the mountains,
and the creatures of the field are mine. p
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and everything in it is mine. q
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats? r
14 Sacrifice a thank offering to God, s
and pay your vows to the Most High. t
15 Call on me in a day of trouble;
I will rescue you, and you will honor me.” u
16 But God says to the wicked:
“What right do you have to recite my statutes
and to take my covenant on your lips? v
and fling my words behind you. w
you make friends with him,
and you associate with adulterers. x
19 You unleash your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue for deceit. y
20 You sit, maligning your brother,
slandering your mother’s son. z
21 You have done these things, and I kept silent;
you thought I was just like you. a
But I will rebuke you
and lay out the case before you. U,b
22 “Understand this, you who forget God,
or I will tear you apart,
and there will be no one to rescue you. c
23 Whoever sacrifices a thank offering honors me,
and whoever orders his conduct,
I will show him the salvation of God.” d