Psalms 50

1 A Psalm by Asaph. The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks, and calls the earth from sunrise to sunset.

A Psalm for Asaph. The God of gods, the Lord, has spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun to the going down [thereof].

2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines out.

Out of Sion [comes] the excellence of his beauty.

3 Our God comes, and does not keep silent. A fire devours before him. It is very stormy around him.

God, our God, shall come manifestly, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall be kindled before him, and round about him there shall be a very great tempest.

4 He calls to the heavens above, to the earth, that he may judge his people:

He shall summon the heaven above, and the earth, that he may judge his people.

5 “Gather my saints together to me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”

Assemble ye his saints to him, those that have engaged in a covenant with him upon sacrifices.

6 The heavens shall declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge. (Selah)

And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge. (Pause)

7 “Hear, my people, and I will speak. Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God.

Hear, my people, and I will speak to thee, O Israel: and I will testify to thee: I am God, thy God.

8 I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices. Your burnt offerings are continually before me.

I will not reprove thee on account of thy sacrifices; for thy whole-burnt-offerings are before me continually.

9 I have no need for a bull from your stall, nor male goats from your pens.

I will take no bullocks out of thine house, nor he-goats out of thy flocks.

10 For every animal of the forest is mine, and the livestock on a thousand hills.

For all the wild beasts of the thicket are mine, the cattle on the mountains, and oxen.

11 I know all the birds of the mountains. The wild animals of the field are mine.

I know all the birds of the sky; and the beauty of the field is mine.

12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.

If I should be hungry, I will not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fullness of it.

13 Will I eat the meat of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

14 Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Pay your vows to the Most High.

Offer to God the sacrifice of praise; and pay thy vows to the Most High.

15 Call on me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”

And call upon me in the day of affliction; and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. (Pause)

16 But to the wicked God says, “What right do you have to declare my statutes, that you have taken my covenant on your lips,

But to the sinner God has said, Why dost thou declare my ordinances, and take up my covenant in thy mouth?

17 since you hate instruction, and throw my words behind you?

Whereas thou hast hated instruction, and hast cast my words behind [thee].

18 When you saw a thief, you consented with him, and have participated with adulterers.

If thou sawest a thief, thou rannest along with him, and hast cast in thy lot with adulterers.

19 “You give your mouth to evil. Your tongue frames deceit.

Thy mouth has multiplied wickedness, and thy tongue has framed deceit.

20 You sit and speak against your brother. You slander your own mother’s son.

Thou didst sit and speak against thy brother, and didst scandalize thy mother's son.

21 You have done these things, and I kept silent. You thought that I was just like you. I will rebuke you, and accuse you in front of your eyes.

These things thou didst, and I kept silence: thou thoughtest wickedly that I should be like thee, [but] I will reprove thee, and set [thine offences] before thee.

22 “Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you into pieces, and there be no one to deliver.

Now consider these things, ye that forget God, lest he rend [you], and there is no deliverer.

23 Whoever offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies me, and prepares his way so that I will show God’s salvation to him.”

The sacrifice of praise will glorify me: and that is the way wherein I will shew to him the salvation of God.