Psalm 50

God as Judge

A psalm of Asaph.(A)

Yahweh, the God of gods[a] speaks;
He summons the earth from east to west.[b](B)
From Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God appears in radiance.[c](C)
Our God is coming; He will not be silent!
Devouring fire precedes Him,
and a storm rages around Him.(D)
On high, He summons heaven and earth
in order to judge His people.(E)
“Gather My faithful ones to Me,
those who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”(F)
The heavens proclaim His righteousness,(G)
for God is the Judge.(H)Selah

“Listen, My people, and I will speak;
I will testify against you, Israel.
I am God, your God.(I)
I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices
or for your burnt offerings,
which are continually before Me.(J)
I will not accept a bull from your household
or male goats from your pens,(K)
10 for every animal of the forest is Mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird of the mountains,[d]
and the creatures of the field are Mine.(L)
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and everything in it is Mine.(M)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?(N)
14 Sacrifice a thank offering to God,(O)
and pay your vows to the Most High.(P)
15 Call on Me in a day of trouble;
I will rescue you, and you will honor Me.”(Q)

16 But God says to the wicked:
“What right do you have to recite My statutes
and to take My covenant on your lips?(R)
17 You hate instruction
and turn your back on My words.[e](S)
18 When you see a thief,
you make friends with him,
and you associate with adulterers.(T)
19 You unleash your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue for deceit.(U)
20 You sit, maligning your brother,
slandering your mother’s son.(V)
21 You have done these things, and I kept silent;
you thought I was just like you.(W)
But I will rebuke you
and lay out the case before you.[f](X)

22 “Understand this, you who forget God,
or I will tear you apart,
and there will be no one to rescue you.(Y)
23 Whoever sacrifices a thank offering honors Me,
and whoever orders his conduct,
I will show him the salvation of God.”(Z)

Psalm 51

A Prayer for Restoration

For the choir director. A Davidic psalm, when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone to Bathsheba.(AA)

Be gracious to me, God,
according to Your faithful love;
according to Your abundant compassion,
blot out my rebellion.(AB)
Wash away my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.(AC)
For I am conscious of my rebellion,
and my sin is always before me.(AD)
Against You—You alone—I have sinned
and done this evil in Your sight.(AE)
So You are right when You pass sentence;
You are blameless when You judge.(AF)
Indeed, I was guilty when I was born;
I was sinful when my mother conceived me.(AG)

Surely You desire integrity in the inner self,
and You teach me wisdom deep within.(AH)
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.(AI)
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones You have crushed rejoice.(AJ)
Turn Your face away[g] from my sins
and blot out all my guilt.(AK)

10 God, create a clean heart for me
and renew a steadfast[h] spirit within me.(AL)
11 Do not banish me from Your presence
or take Your Holy Spirit from me.(AM)
12 Restore the joy of Your salvation to me,
and give me a willing spirit.[i](AN)
13 Then I will teach the rebellious Your ways,
and sinners will return to You.(AO)

14 Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God,(AP)
the God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness.(AQ)
15 Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare Your praise.(AR)
16 You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it;
You are not pleased with a burnt offering.(AS)
17 The sacrifice pleasing to God is[j] a broken spirit.
God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart.(AT)

18 In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper;
build[k] the walls of Jerusalem.(AU)
19 Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices,
whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on Your altar.(AV)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 50:1 Or The Mighty One, God, the Lord, or The God of gods, the Lord
  2. Psalm 50:1 Lit from the rising of the sun to its setting
  3. Psalm 50:2 Or God shines forth
  4. Psalm 50:11 LXX, Syr, Tg read heavens
  5. Psalm 50:17 Or and cast My words behind you
  6. Psalm 50:21 Lit out before your eyes
  7. Psalm 51:9 Lit Hide Your face
  8. Psalm 51:10 Or right
  9. Psalm 51:12 Or and sustain me with a noble spirit
  10. Psalm 51:17 Lit The sacrifices of God are
  11. Psalm 51:18 Or rebuild

Psalm 50

A psalm of Asaph.

The Mighty One, God, the Lord,(A)
    speaks and summons the earth
    from the rising of the sun to where it sets.(B)
From Zion,(C) perfect in beauty,(D)
    God shines forth.(E)
Our God comes(F)
    and will not be silent;(G)
a fire devours(H) before him,(I)
    and around him a tempest(J) rages.
He summons the heavens above,
    and the earth,(K) that he may judge his people:(L)
“Gather to me this consecrated people,(M)
    who made a covenant(N) with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim(O) his righteousness,
    for he is a God of justice.[a][b](P)

“Listen, my people, and I will speak;
    I will testify(Q) against you, Israel:
    I am God, your God.(R)
I bring no charges(S) against you concerning your sacrifices
    or concerning your burnt offerings,(T) which are ever before me.
I have no need of a bull(U) from your stall
    or of goats(V) from your pens,(W)
10 for every animal of the forest(X) is mine,
    and the cattle on a thousand hills.(Y)
11 I know every bird(Z) in the mountains,
    and the insects in the fields(AA) are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
    for the world(AB) is mine, and all that is in it.(AC)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?

14 “Sacrifice thank offerings(AD) to God,
    fulfill your vows(AE) to the Most High,(AF)
15 and call(AG) on me in the day of trouble;(AH)
    I will deliver(AI) you, and you will honor(AJ) me.”

16 But to the wicked person, God says:

“What right have you to recite my laws
    or take my covenant(AK) on your lips?(AL)
17 You hate(AM) my instruction
    and cast my words behind(AN) you.
18 When you see a thief, you join(AO) with him;
    you throw in your lot with adulterers.(AP)
19 You use your mouth for evil
    and harness your tongue to deceit.(AQ)
20 You sit and testify against your brother(AR)
    and slander your own mother’s son.
21 When you did these things and I kept silent,(AS)
    you thought I was exactly[c] like you.
But I now arraign(AT) you
    and set my accusations(AU) before you.

22 “Consider this, you who forget God,(AV)
    or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:(AW)
23 Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,
    and to the blameless[d] I will show my salvation.(AX)

Psalm 51[e]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.(AY)

Have mercy(AZ) on me, O God,
    according to your unfailing love;(BA)
according to your great compassion(BB)
    blot out(BC) my transgressions.(BD)
Wash away(BE) all my iniquity
    and cleanse(BF) me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is always before me.(BG)
Against you, you only, have I sinned(BH)
    and done what is evil in your sight;(BI)
so you are right in your verdict
    and justified when you judge.(BJ)
Surely I was sinful(BK) at birth,(BL)
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
    you taught me wisdom(BM) in that secret place.(BN)

Cleanse(BO) me with hyssop,(BP) and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.(BQ)
Let me hear joy and gladness;(BR)
    let the bones(BS) you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins(BT)
    and blot out(BU) all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart,(BV) O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.(BW)
11 Do not cast me(BX) from your presence(BY)
    or take your Holy Spirit(BZ) from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation(CA)
    and grant me a willing spirit,(CB) to sustain me.(CC)

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,(CD)
    so that sinners(CE) will turn back to you.(CF)
14 Deliver me(CG) from the guilt of bloodshed,(CH) O God,
    you who are God my Savior,(CI)
    and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.(CJ)
15 Open my lips, Lord,(CK)
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice,(CL) or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice,(CM) O God, is[f] a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart(CN)
    you, God, will not despise.

18 May it please you to prosper Zion,(CO)
    to build up the walls of Jerusalem.(CP)
19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,(CQ)
    in burnt offerings(CR) offered whole;
    then bulls(CS) will be offered on your altar.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 50:6 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text for God himself is judge
  2. Psalm 50:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  3. Psalm 50:21 Or thought the ‘I am’ was
  4. Psalm 50:23 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; the meaning of the Masoretic Text for this phrase is uncertain.
  5. Psalm 51:1 In Hebrew texts 51:1-19 is numbered 51:3-21.
  6. Psalm 51:17 Or The sacrifices of God are