Psalm 50

True Worship^j

50 The Almighty God, the Lord, speaks;

he calls to the whole earth from east to west.

²God shines from Zion,

the city perfect in its beauty.

³Our God is coming, but not in silence;

a raging fire is in front of him,

a furious storm is round him.

⁴He calls heaven and earth as witnesses

to see him judge his people.

⁵He says, “Gather my faithful people to me,

those who made a covenant with me by offering a sacrifice.”

⁶The heavens proclaim that God is righteous,

that he himself is judge.

⁷“Listen, my people, and I will speak;

I will testify against you, Israel.

I am God, your God.

⁸I do not reprimand you because of your sacrifices

and the burnt offerings you always bring me.

⁹And yet I do not need bulls from your farms

or goats from your flocks;

¹⁰all the animals in the forest are mine

and the cattle on thousands of hills.

¹¹All the wild birds are mine

and all living things in the fields.

¹²“If I were hungry, I would not ask you for food,

for the world and everything in it is mine.

¹³Do I eat the flesh of bulls

or drink the blood of goats?

¹⁴Let the giving of thanks be your sacrifice to God,^k

and give the Almighty all that you promised.

¹⁵Call to me when trouble comes;

I will save you,

and you will praise me.”

¹⁶But God says to the wicked,

“Why should you recite my commandments?

Why should you talk about my covenant?

¹⁷You refuse to let me correct you;

you reject my commands.

¹⁸You become the friend of every thief you see

and you associate with adulterers.

¹⁹“You are always ready to speak evil;

you never hesitate to tell lies.

²⁰You are ready to accuse your own relatives

and to find fault with them.

²¹You have done all this, and I have said nothing,

so you thought that I was like you.

But now I reprimand you

and make the matter plain to you.

²²“Listen to this, you that ignore me,

or I will destroy you,

and there will be no one to save you.

²³Giving thanks is the sacrifice that honours me,

and I will surely save all who obey me.”