God Himself Is Judge

A Psalm of (A)Asaph.

50 (B)The Mighty One, God the Lord,
    speaks and summons the earth
    (C)from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Out of Zion, (D)the perfection of beauty,
    (E)God shines forth.

Our God comes; he (F)does not keep silence;[a]
    before him is a devouring (G)fire,
    around him a mighty tempest.
(H)He calls to the heavens above
    and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
“Gather to me my faithful ones,
    who made (I)a covenant with me by sacrifice!”
(J)The heavens declare his righteousness,
    for (K)God himself is judge! Selah

(L)“Hear, O my people, and I will speak;
    O Israel, I will testify against you.
    (M)I am God, your God.
Not for your sacrifices (N)do I rebuke you;
    your burnt offerings are continually before me.
I will not accept a bull from your house
    or goats from your folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is mine,
    the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 (O)I know all the birds of the hills,
    and all that moves in the field is mine.

12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
    (P)for the world and its fullness are mine.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?
14 (Q)Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,[b]
    and (R)perform your vows to the Most High,
15 and (S)call upon me in the day of trouble;
    I will (T)deliver you, and you shall (U)glorify me.”

16 But to the wicked God says:
    “What right have you to recite my statutes
    or take my covenant on your lips?
17 (V)For you hate discipline,
    (W)and you cast my words behind you.
18 If you see a thief, (X)you are pleased with him,
    (Y)and you keep company with adulterers.

19 “You give your mouth free rein for evil,
    (Z)and your tongue frames deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother;
    you slander your own mother's son.
21 These things you have done, and I (AA)have been silent;
    you thought that I[c] was one like yourself.
But now I (AB)rebuke you and (AC)lay the charge before you.

22 “Mark this, then, you who (AD)forget God,
    lest I tear you apart, and there be (AE)none to deliver!
23 The one who (AF)offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
    to one who (AG)orders his way rightly
    I will show the (AH)salvation of God!”

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 50:3 Or May our God come, and not keep silence
  2. Psalm 50:14 Or Make thanksgiving your sacrifice to God
  3. Psalm 50:21 Or that the I am

God the Judge of the Righteous and the Wicked.

A Psalm of [a]Asaph

50 The mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken,
And summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting [from east to west].

Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God has shone forth.

May our God come and not keep silent;
Fire devours before Him,
And around Him a mighty tempest rages.

He summons the heavens above,
And the earth, to judge His people:

“Gather My godly ones to Me,
Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”

And the heavens declare His righteousness,
For God Himself is judge. Selah.


“Hear, O My people, and I will speak;
O Israel, I will testify against you:
I am God, your God.

“I do not reprove you for your sacrifices;
Your burnt offerings are continually before Me.

“I will accept no young bull from your house
Nor male goat from your folds.
10 
“For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 
“I know every bird of the mountains,
And everything that moves in the field is [b]Mine.
12 
“If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
For the world and all it contains are Mine.(A)
13 
“Shall I eat the flesh of bulls
Or drink the blood of male goats?
14 
“Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving
And pay your vows to the Most High;
15 
Call on Me in the day of trouble;
I will rescue you, and you shall honor and glorify Me.”

16 
But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to recite My statutes
Or to take My covenant on your lips?
17 
“For you hate instruction and discipline
And cast My words behind you [discarding them].
18 
“When you see a thief, you are pleased with him and condone his behavior,
And you associate with adulterers.
19 
“You give your mouth to evil
And your tongue frames deceit.
20 
“You sit and speak against your brother;
You slander your own mother’s son.
21 
“These things you have done and I kept silent;
You thought that I was just like you.
Now I will reprimand and denounce you and state the case in order before your eyes.

22 
“Now consider this, you who forget God,
Or I will tear you in pieces, and there will be no one to rescue [you].
23 
“He who offers a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving honors Me;
And to him who orders his way rightly [who follows the way that I show him],
I shall show the salvation of God.”

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 50:1 Asaph was a Levite and one of the leaders of David’s choir. He was the head of one of the three families permanently in charge of the temple music. His family formed a guild that bore his name and is frequently mentioned (2 Chr 20:14; 29:13, 30). Twelve psalms (50; 73-83) are attributed in the titles to the family of Asaph. A hundred and twenty-eight of Asaph’s family members, all singers, came back from Babylon and took part when the foundations of Zerubbabel’s temple were laid (Ezra 2:41; 3:10).
  2. Psalm 50:11 Or in my mind; lit with Me.

Psalm 50

God as Judge

A psalm of Asaph.(A)

The Mighty One, God,[a] the Lord, speaks;
he summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.(B)
From Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God appears in radiance.[b](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 take 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,
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 Offer a thanksgiving sacrifice 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 fling my words behind you.(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.[c](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 offers a thanksgiving sacrifice honors me,
and whoever orders his conduct,
I will show him the salvation of God.”(Z)

Footnotes

  1. 50:1 Or The God of gods
  2. 50:2 Or God shines forth
  3. 50:21 Lit lay it out before your eyes