Psalm 50:title–23

God as Judge

A psalm of Asaph. ^f

¹Yahweh, the God of gods ^gspeaks;

He summons the earth from east to west. ^hi

²From Zion, the perfection of beauty,

God appears in radiance. ^jk

³Our God is coming; He will not be silent!

Devouring fire precedes Him,

and a storm rages around Him. ^l

⁴On high, He summons heaven and earth

in order to judge His people. ^m

⁵“Gather My faithful ones to Me,

those who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” ⁿ

⁶The heavens proclaim His righteousness, ^o

for God is the Judge. ^pSelah

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

I will testify against you, Israel.

I am God, your God. ^q

⁸I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices

or for your burnt offerings,

which are continually before Me. ^r

⁹I will not accept a bull from your household

or male goats from your pens, ^s

¹⁰for every animal of the forest is Mine,

the cattle on a thousand hills.

¹¹I know every bird of the mountains, ^t

and the creatures of the field are Mine. ^u

¹²If I were hungry, I would not tell you,

for the world and everything in it is Mine. ^v

¹³Do I eat the flesh of bulls

or drink the blood of goats? ^w

¹⁴Sacrifice a thank offering to God, ^x

and pay your vows to the Most High. ^y

¹⁵Call on Me in a day of trouble;

I will rescue you, and you will honor Me.” ^z

¹⁶But God says to the wicked:

“What right do you have to recite My statutes

and to take My covenant on your lips? ^a

¹⁷You hate instruction

and turn your back on My words. ^bc

¹⁸When you see a thief,

you make friends with him,

and you associate with adulterers. ^d

¹⁹You unleash your mouth for evil

and harness your tongue for deceit. ^e

²⁰You sit, maligning your brother,

slandering your mother’s son. ^f

²¹You have done these things, and I kept silent;

you thought I was just like you. ^g

But I will rebuke you

and lay out the case before you. ^hi

²²“Understand this, you who forget God,

or I will tear you apart,

and there will be no one to rescue you. ^j

²³Whoever sacrifices a thank offering honors Me,

and whoever orders his conduct,

I will show him the salvation of God.” ^k