Psalm 50:7–23

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

I will testify^u against you, Israel:

I am God, your God.^v

⁸I bring no charges^w against you concerning your sacrifices

or concerning your burnt offerings,^x which are ever before me.

⁹I have no need of a bull^y from your stall

or of goats^z from your pens,^a

¹⁰for every animal of the forest^b is mine,

and the cattle on a thousand hills.^c

¹¹I know every bird^d in the mountains,

and the insects in the fields^e are mine.

¹²If I were hungry I would not tell you,

for the world^f is mine, and all that is in it.^g

¹³Do I eat the flesh of bulls

or drink the blood of goats?

¹⁴“Sacrifice thank offerings^h to God,

fulfill your vowsⁱ to the Most High,^j

¹⁵and call^k on me in the day of trouble;^l

I will deliver^m you, and you will honorⁿ me.”

¹⁶But to the wicked person, God says:

“What right have you to recite my laws

or take my covenant^o on your lips?^p

¹⁷You hate^q my instruction

and cast my words behind^r you.

¹⁸When you see a thief, you join^s with him;

you throw in your lot with adulterers.^t

¹⁹You use your mouth for evil

and harness your tongue to deceit.^u

²⁰You sit and testify against your brother^v

and slander your own mother’s son.

²¹When you did these things and I kept silent,^w

you thought I was exactly^c like you.

But I now arraign^x you

and set my accusations^y before you.

²²“Consider this, you who forget God,^z

or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:^a

²³Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,

and to the blameless^d I will show my salvation.^b”