Psalm 50

A psalm of Asaph.

¹The Mighty One, God, the Lord,

speaks and summons the earth

from the rising of the sun to where it sets.

²From Zion, perfect in beauty,

God shines forth.

³Our God comes

and will not be silent;

a fire devours before him,

and around him a tempest rages.

⁴He summons the heavens above,

and the earth, that he may judge his people:

⁵“Gather to me this consecrated people,

who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”

⁶And the heavens proclaim his righteousness,

for he is a God of justice.

⁷“Listen, my people, and I will speak;

I will testify against you, Israel:

I am God, your God.

⁸I bring no charges against you concerning your sacrifices

or concerning your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.

⁹I have no need of a bull from your stall

or of goats from your pens,

¹⁰for every animal of the forest is mine,

and the cattle on a thousand hills.

¹¹I know every bird in the mountains,

and the insects in the fields are mine.

¹²If I were hungry I would not tell you,

for the world is mine, and all that is in it.

¹³Do I eat the flesh of bulls

or drink the blood of goats?

¹⁴“Sacrifice thank offerings to God,

fulfill your vows to the Most High,

¹⁵and call on me in the day of trouble;

I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”

¹⁶But to the wicked person, God says:

“What right have you to recite my laws

or take my covenant on your lips?

¹⁷You hate my instruction

and cast my words behind you.

¹⁸When you see a thief, you join with him;

you throw in your lot with adulterers.

¹⁹You use your mouth for evil

and harness your tongue to deceit.

²⁰You sit and testify against your brother

and slander your own mother’s son.

²¹When you did these things and I kept silent,

you thought I was exactly like you.

But I now arraign you

and set my accusations before you.

²²“Consider this, you who forget God,

or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:

²³Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,

and to the blameless I will show my salvation.”