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.

The Lord, the Mighty One, is God,
    and he has spoken;
he has summoned all humanity
    from where the sun rises to where it sets.
From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty,
    God shines in glorious radiance.
Our God approaches,
    and he is not silent.
Fire devours everything in his way,
    and a great storm rages around him.
He calls on the heavens above and earth below
    to witness the judgment of his people.
“Bring my faithful people to me—
    those who made a covenant with me by giving sacrifices.”
Then let the heavens proclaim his justice,
    for God himself will be the judge. Interlude

“O my people, listen as I speak.
    Here are my charges against you, O Israel:
    I am God, your God!
I have no complaint about your sacrifices
    or the burnt offerings you constantly offer.
But I do not need the bulls from your barns
    or the goats from your pens.
10 For all the animals of the forest are mine,
    and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird on the mountains,
    and all the animals of the field are mine.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
    for all the world is mine and everything in it.
13 Do I eat the meat of bulls?
    Do I drink the blood of goats?
14 Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God,
    and keep the vows you made to the Most High.
15 Then call on me when you are in trouble,
    and I will rescue you,
    and you will give me glory.”

16 But God says to the wicked:
“Why bother reciting my decrees
    and pretending to obey my covenant?
17 For you refuse my discipline
    and treat my words like trash.
18 When you see thieves, you approve of them,
    and you spend your time with adulterers.
19 Your mouth is filled with wickedness,
    and your tongue is full of lies.
20 You sit around and slander your brother—
    your own mother’s son.
21 While you did all this, I remained silent,
    and you thought I didn’t care.
But now I will rebuke you,
    listing all my charges against you.
22 Repent, all of you who forget me,
    or I will tear you apart,
    and no one will help you.
23 But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.
    If you keep to my path,
    I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”