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Psalm 50
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 50
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 50[a]
The Worship Acceptable to God
1 A psalm of Asaph.[b]
[c]The Lord, the God of gods,[d]
has spoken and summoned the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 From Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth.
3 Our God is coming, and he will not be silent;
he is preceded by a devouring fire,
and a raging tempest surrounds him.[e]
4 He summons the heavens above
and the earth to judge his people:
5 “Gather before me my faithful servants
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”[f]
6 The heavens proclaim his saving justice,
for God himself is the judge.[g] Selah
7 [h]“Listen, my people, and I will speak.
O Israel, I will testify against you.
I am God, your God.
8 I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices,
for your burnt offerings are constantly before me.
9 “I will not accept a young bull from your homes
or goats from your folds.
10 For all the living creatures of the forest are mine,
animals by the thousands on my hills.
11 I know every bird of the air,
and whatever moves in the fields belongs to me.
12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world is mine, and all that it holds.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14 “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving
and fulfill your vows to the Most High.
15 Then if you cry out to me in time of trouble,
I will rescue you, and you will honor me.”
16 [i]But to the wicked God says:
“How can you recite my statutes
or profess my covenant on your lips?
17 For you loathe my instruction
and cast my words behind you.
18 “When you meet a thief, you join him;
you revel in the company of adulterers.
19 You employ your mouth for evil,
and your tongue frames deceit.
20 “You willingly speak against your brother
and slander the child of your own mother.
21 When you do such things, can I remain silent?
Do you think that I am[j] like you?
I will correct you
and set the charge before your face.
22 “Remember this, you who forget God,[k]
lest I tear you to pieces
and there be no one to rescue you.
23 He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me;
to him who follows my way
I will show the salvation of God.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 50:1 This psalm takes the form of an indictment against God’s people for the formalistic practice of their religion and a request for sacrifices of praise accompanied by obedience. It is divided into three parts: (1) the announcement of the Lord’s arrival and the convening of the court (vv. 1-6); (2) the Lord’s words of correction (vv. 7-15); (3) his rebuke for the wicked and promise of reward or punishment (vv. 16-23). The psalm itself may have been composed for a temple liturgy for reaffirming commitment to the covenant.
In praying this psalm, we should recall that Jesus also condemned formalism. Christ does not reproach us for our external worship, our beautiful liturgical celebrations, vows, oblations, or sacrifices. However, all these must truly reflect sentiments of profound religion—“a living sacrifice that is holy and acceptable to God” (Rom 12:1). - Psalm 50:1 Asaph: probably a choral leader in the Jerusalem temple (see notes on Pss 73–89).
- Psalm 50:1 The author knows how to conjure up the whole apparatus of a divine manifestation. God himself solemnly appears to challenge those who dishonor worship and the law and to recall for them the great demands of the covenant. Israel must realize that the God of Zion is the God of Sinai (see Ex 19:16-20). It is a picture of the Last Judgment.
- Psalm 50:1 The Lord, the God of gods: in Hebrew, a threefold formula for the divine name that can also be translated as: “The Mighty One, God, the Lord.” It is found elsewhere only in Jos 22:22 (also see Deut 10:17). This psalm is notable for the seven names or other titles it uses for God (v. 1: the God of gods [or: The Mighty One], “God,” “Lord”; v. 6: “judge”; v. 14: “Most High”; v. 21: “I am”; v. 22: “God”—alternative word, Eloah).
- Psalm 50:3 The Lord is the Ruler of the universe and his appearance is attended by phenomena calculated to create awe in his subjects: fire and a tempest. When he comes in judgment, he is like a consuming fire (see Deut 4:24; 9:3; Isa 66:16; Heb 12:29); in his anger, he may also storm like a tempest (see Isa 66:15).
- Psalm 50:5 Those consecrated to the Lord had made a covenant with him that was sealed by sacrifices (see Ex 24:4-8).
- Psalm 50:6 Judge: a title for God (see Ps 94:2; Gen 18:25; Jdg 11:27).
- Psalm 50:7 Pagans might have imagined that they owed food subsidies to their gods; the Lord has no need of our earthly goods, for everything belongs to him. This diatribe against purely external worship occurs often in the Bible, notably in the Prophets (see 1 Sam 15:22; 1 Chr 29:16-19; Isa 1:10-16; 29:13f; 58:1-8; Jer 6:20; 7:21; Hos 6:6; Joel 2:12; Mic 6:5-8; Zec 7:4-6; Mal 1:10) and is also found elsewhere in the Psalter (see Pss 40:7-9; 51:18f, etc.). The passages do not condemn sacrifices or worship in general, but only the formalism that is satisfied with performing external rites. We cannot bribe God; we can only acknowledge him by prayer and thanksgiving: this was the constant attitude of Jesus toward his Father. Truly religious persons are aware of their limitations; they await everything from God and realize that they owe him everything. The Gospel will lay a heavy emphasis on this teaching (see Mt 5:23; 12:7; Mk 12:33), and Paul will in turn repeat it in his instruction on worship in spirit (Rom 12:1; Phil 2:17; 3:3).
- Psalm 50:16 Another type of formalism is to have religion or the law on one’s lips more than in one’s heart and life. There is no authentic faith unless it includes a moral commitment and notably that of justice and respect toward others: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my heavenly Father” (Mt 7:21).
- Psalm 50:21 I am: the formula that reveals the name of the Lord in the Old Testament (see Ex 3:14; Isa 41:4, 10, 14; 43:1-3, 10, 13). See notes on Mk 4:26; 6:50.
- Psalm 50:22 God: here the Hebrew is a relatively rare poetic word, Eloah, found frequently in Job (see also Pss 18:33; 139:19; Deut 32:15, 17; Hab 3:3).
Psaltaren 50
Svenska Folkbibeln
Psaltaren 50
Svenska Folkbibeln
Psalm 50
Herrens dom över sitt folk
1 En psalm av Asaf.
Gud, Herren Gud, har talat,
han kallar på jorden från öster till väster.
2 Från Sion, fullkomlig i skönhet,
träder Gud fram i glans.
3 Vår Gud kommer, han skall ej tiga.
Förtärande eld går framför honom
och kring honom stormar det våldsamt.
4 Han kallar på himlen där ovan
och på jorden för att döma sitt folk:
5 "Församla till mig mina fromma,
som sluter förbund med mig vid offer."
6 Himlarna förkunnar hans rättfärdighet,
ty Gud är den som dömer. Sela.
7 "Hör, mitt folk, jag vill tala,
Israel, jag vill vittna mot dig:
Jag är Gud, din Gud.
8 Det är inte för dina slaktoffer
jag vill gå till rätta med dig,
dina brännoffer har jag alltid inför mig.
9 Jag vill inte ta tjurar ur ditt hus
eller bockar ur dina fållor,
10 ty alla skogens djur är mina,
boskapen på de tusen bergen.
11 Jag känner alla fåglar på bergen,
allt som rör sig på marken är mitt.
12 Om jag hungrade skulle jag inte säga det till dig,
ty hela jorden är min med allt den rymmer.
13 Skulle jag äta tjurars kött
eller dricka bockars blod?
14 Nej, offra lovets offer åt Gud
och infria dina löften till den Högste.
15 Ropa till mig på nödens dag,
så skall jag rädda dig, och du skall ära mig."
16 Men till den ogudaktige säger Gud:
"Hur kan du tala om mina stadgar
och ta mitt förbund på din tunga,
17 du som hatar tillrättavisning
och kastar mina ord bakom dig?
18 Om du ser en tjuv håller du med honom,
och med äktenskapsbrytare ger du dig i lag.
19 Du sprider ondska med din mun
och väver samman svek med din tunga.
20 Du sitter och förtalar din bror,
du hånar din mors son.
21 Sådant gör du och jag tiger.
Då tror du att jag är som du.
Men jag skall straffa dig
och låta dina ögon se det.
22 Lägg märke till detta,
ni som glömmer Gud,
så att jag inte sliter er i stycken utan räddning:
23 Den som offrar lovets offer ärar mig.
Den som ger akt på vägen,
skall jag låta se Guds frälsning."
Psalm 50
New International Version
Psalm 50
New International Version
Psalm 50
A psalm of Asaph.
1 The Mighty One, God, the Lord,(A)
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to where it sets.(B)
2 From Zion,(C) perfect in beauty,(D)
God shines forth.(E)
3 Our God comes(F)
and will not be silent;(G)
a fire devours(H) before him,(I)
and around him a tempest(J) rages.
4 He summons the heavens above,
and the earth,(K) that he may judge his people:(L)
5 “Gather to me this consecrated people,(M)
who made a covenant(N) with me by sacrifice.”
6 And the heavens proclaim(O) his righteousness,
for he is a God of justice.[a][b](P)
7 “Listen, my people, and I will speak;
I will testify(Q) against you, Israel:
I am God, your God.(R)
8 I bring no charges(S) against you concerning your sacrifices
or concerning your burnt offerings,(T) which are ever before me.
9 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.
Footnotes
- Psalm 50:6 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text for God himself is judge
- Psalm 50:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 50:21 Or thought the ‘I am’ was
- Psalm 50:23 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; the meaning of the Masoretic Text for this phrase is uncertain.
Psalm 50
New King James Version
Psalm 50
New King James Version
God the Righteous Judge
A Psalm of Asaph.
50 The (A)Mighty One, God the Lord,
Has spoken and called the earth
From the rising of the sun to its going down.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
(B)God will shine forth.
3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent;
(C)A fire shall devour before Him,
And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.
4 (D)He shall call to the heavens from above,
And to the earth, that He may judge His people:
5 “Gather (E)My saints together to Me,
(F)Those who have [a]made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”
6 Let the (G)heavens declare His righteousness,
For (H)God Himself is Judge. Selah
7 “Hear, O My people, and I will speak,
O Israel, and I will testify against you;
(I)I am God, your God!
8 (J)I will not [b]rebuke you (K)for your sacrifices
Or your burnt offerings,
Which are continually before Me.
9 (L)I will not take a bull from your house,
Nor goats out of your folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the mountains,
And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.
12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you;
(M)For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.
13 (N)Will I eat the flesh of bulls,
Or drink the blood of goats?
14 (O)Offer to God thanksgiving,
And (P)pay your vows to the Most High.
15 (Q)Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
16 But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to declare My statutes,
Or take My covenant in your mouth,
17 (R)Seeing you hate instruction
And cast My words behind you?
18 When you saw a thief, you (S)consented[c] with him,
And have been a (T)partaker with adulterers.
19 You give your mouth to evil,
And (U)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;
(V)You thought that I was altogether like you;
But I will rebuke you,
And (W)set them in order before your eyes.
22 “Now consider this, you who (X)forget God,
Lest I tear you in pieces,
And there be none to deliver:
23 Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;
And (Y)to him who orders his conduct aright
I will show the salvation of God.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 50:5 Lit. cut
- Psalm 50:8 reprove
- Psalm 50:18 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. ran
Svenska Folkbibeln (SFB)
1996, 1998 by Stiftelsen Svenska Folkbibeln
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.