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Psalm 50

The Acceptable Sacrifice

A Psalm of Asaph.

The mighty one, God the Lord,
    speaks and summons the earth
    from the rising of the sun to its setting.(A)
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
    God shines forth.(B)

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

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

12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
    for the world and all that is in it is mine.(K)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,[b]
    and pay your vows to the Most High.(L)
15 Call on me in the day of trouble;
    I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”(M)

16 But to the wicked God says,
    “What right have you to recite my statutes
    or take my covenant on your lips?(N)
17 For you hate discipline,
    and you cast my words behind you.(O)
18 You make friends with a thief when you see one,
    and you keep company with adulterers.(P)

19 You give your mouth free rein for evil,
    and your tongue frames deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your kin;
    you slander your own mother’s child.(Q)
21 These things you have done, and I have been silent;
    you thought that I was one just like yourself.
But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.(R)

22 Mark this, then, you who forget God,
    or I will tear you apart, and there will be no one to deliver.(S)
23 Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice honor me;
    to those who go the right way,[c]
    I will show the salvation of God.”

Footnotes

  1. 50.11 Gk Syr Tg: Heb mountains
  2. 50.14 Or make thanksgiving your sacrifice to God
  3. 50.23 Heb who set a way

But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,(A) they on their part acted with cunning: they went and prepared provisions[a] and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys and wineskins, worn out and torn and mended, with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet and worn-out clothes, and all their provisions were dry and moldy. They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the Israelites, “We have come from a far country, so now make a treaty with us.”(B) But the Israelites said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a treaty with you?”(C) They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?”(D) They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of the Lord your God, for we have heard a report of him, of all that he did in Egypt(E) 10 and of all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan who lived in Ashtaroth.(F) 11 So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey; go to meet them, and say to them, “We are your servants; come now, make a treaty with us.” ’ 12 Here is our bread; it was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey, on the day we set out to come to you, but now, see, it is dry and moldy; 13 these wineskins were new when we filled them, and see, they are burst, and these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” 14 So the leaders[b] partook of their provisions and did not ask direction from the Lord.(G) 15 And Joshua made peace with them, guaranteeing their lives by a treaty, and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.(H)

16 But when three days had passed after they had made a treaty with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and were living among them. 17 So the Israelites set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.(I) 18 But the Israelites did not attack them because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders.(J) 19 But all the leaders said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we must not touch them. 20 This is what we will do to them: we will let them live, so that wrath may not come upon us, because of the oath that we swore to them.” 21 The leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became woodcutters and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the leaders had decided concerning them.(K)

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Footnotes

  1. 9.4 Heb mss Gk Syr: Meaning of MT uncertain
  2. 9.14 Gk: Heb men

Please Others, Not Yourselves

15 We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.(A) Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor.(B) For Christ did not please himself, but, as it is written, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.(C) May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus,(D) so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Gospel for Jews and Gentiles Alike

Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the ancestors(E) and that the gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

“Therefore I will confess you among the gentiles
    and sing praises to your name”;(F)

10 and again he says,

“Rejoice, O gentiles, with his people”;

11 and again,

“Praise the Lord, all you gentiles,
    and let all the peoples praise him”;

12 and again Isaiah says,

“The root of Jesse shall come,
    the one who rises to rule the gentiles;
in him the gentiles shall hope.”(G)

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.(H)

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Peter’s Denial of Jesus

69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A female servant came to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before all of them, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” 71 When he went out to the porch, another female servant saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.”[a] 72 Again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” 73 After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you.” 74 Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath, “I do not know the man!” At that moment the cock crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 26.71 Gk Nazorean