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

Psalm 50

A psalm of Asaph.

50 From the rising of the sun to where it sets,
    God, the Lord God, speaks,
        calling out to the earth.
From Zion, perfect in beauty,
    God shines brightly.
Our God is coming;
    he won’t keep quiet.
A devouring fire is before him;
    a storm rages all around him.
God calls out to the skies above
    and to the earth in order to judge his people:
“Bring my faithful to me,
    those who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
The skies proclaim his righteousness
    because God himself is the judge. Selah

“Listen, my people, I will now speak;
    Israel, I will now testify against you.
    I am God—your God!
I’m not punishing you for your sacrifices
    or for your entirely burned offerings,
    which are always before me.
I won’t accept bulls from your house
    or goats from your corrals
10     because every forest animal already belongs to me,
    as do the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every mountain bird;
    even the insects in the fields are mine.
12 Even if I were hungry, I wouldn’t tell you
    because the whole world and everything in it already belong to me.
13 Do I eat bulls’ meat?
    Do I drink goats’ blood?
14 Offer God a sacrifice of thanksgiving!
    Fulfill the promises you made to the Most High!
15 Cry out to me whenever you are in trouble;
    I will deliver you, then you will honor me.”

16 But to the wicked God says,
“Why do you talk about my laws?
    Why do you even mention my covenant?
17 You hate discipline, and
    you toss my words behind your back.
18 You make friends with thieves whenever you see one;
    you spend your time with adulterers.
19 You set your mouth free to do evil,
    then harness your tongue to tell lies.
20 You sit around, talking about your own siblings;
    you find fault with the children of your very own mother.
21 You’ve done these things and I’ve kept quiet.
    You thought I was just like you!
        But now I’m punishing you;
        I’m laying it all out, right in front of your face.
22 So consider this carefully, all you who forget God,
    or I’ll rip you to pieces with no one to deliver you:
23 The one who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving is the one who honors me.
    And it is to the one who charts the correct path that I will show divine salvation.”