Psalms Chapter 50

A Psalm of Asaph

¹ The Mighty One, God, Yahveh, has spoken

      and calls to earth from sunrise to sunset.

² He shines forth out of Zion in perfect beauty.

³ Our God comes; he doesn’t stay quiet;

      a fire consumes in front of him;

      a storm rages around him.

⁴ He calls on the sky above and the earth beneath

         to witness the judgment of his people.

⁵ “Gather my people to me

      that I’ve made a covenant with by sacrifice.”

⁶ The heavens declare his justice

       because God himself is judge.                                        

Ps 50:1-6

⁷ “Listen, my people, and I’ll speak;

      Israel, I’ll bring my charges against you.

      I’m God, your God.

⁸ I don’t have any complaint about your sacrifices

      or burnt offerings that are always in front of me.

⁹ But I don’t need any bulls from your barns

            or male goats from your pens;

         ¹⁰every animal in the forest already belongs to me,

            the livestock on a thousand hills.

¹¹ I know every bird in the mountains;

      everything that moves in the field is mine.

¹² If I was hungry, I wouldn’t say anything to you about it,

      because the whole world belongs to me and everything in it.

¹³ Will I eat the meat of bulls

      or drink the blood of male goats?

¹⁴ Offer to me a sacrifice of thanksgiving;

      keep your vows to the Most High.

 ¹⁵Call on me when there’s trouble;

      then I’ll rescue you, and you’ll honor me.”

Ps 50:7-15

¹⁶ But God says to the sinful,

      “What reason do you have to recite my statutes

      or discuss my covenant?

¹⁷ You hate discipline

      and disregard what I tell you.

¹⁸ Thieves are your friends;                                                    

         you associate with adulterers.

¹⁹ You give your mouth free reign;

      your tongue tells lies.

²⁰ You sit around and gossip about your brother;

      you slander your mother’s son.

²¹ I didn’t speak up when you did those things,

      so you thought it didn’t matter to me;

      but now I’ll charge you

            and lay out my case against you.

Ps 50:16-21

²² “Consider this, you that forget about me,

      or I’ll tear you to pieces,

      and there won’t be anyone to save you.

²³ Giving thanks is the sacrifice that honors me;

         I’ll show you my deliverance if you keep to my path.”

Ps 50:22-23