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A song of Asaph.

The Acceptable Sacrifice

50 God, the Lord,[a] has spoken.
    He has summoned the earth
        from the rising of the sun to its setting place.
From Zion, the perfection of beauty,
    God has shined forth.
Our God has appeared and he has not been silent;
    a devouring fire blazed before him,
        and a mighty storm swirled around him.
He summoned the heavens above
    and the earth below,[b]
        to sit in judgment on his people.

“Assemble before me, my saints,
    who have entered into my covenant by sacrifice.”

The heavens revealed his justice,
    for God is himself the judge.
Interlude

“Listen, my people,
    for I am making a pronouncement:
        Israel, I, God, your God, am testifying against you.
I do not rebuke you because of your sacrifices;
    indeed, your burnt offerings are continuously before me.
I will no longer accept a sacrificial[c] bull from your household;
    nor goats from your pens.
10 Indeed, every animal of the forest is mine,
    even the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds in the mountains;
    indeed, everything that moves in the field is mine.
12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you;
    for the world is mine along with everything in it.
13 Why should I eat the flesh of oxen
    or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer to God a thanksgiving praise;
    pay your vows to the Most High.
15 Call on me in the day of distress;
    I will deliver you, and you will glorify me.”

16 As for the wicked, God says,

“How dare you recite my statutes
    or speak about my covenant with your lips!
17 You hate instruction
    and toss my words behind you.
18 When you see a thief, you befriend him,
    and you keep company with adulterers.
19 You give your mouth free reign for evil,
    and your tongue devises deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother;
    you slander your own mother’s son.
21 These things you did, and I kept silent,
    because you assumed that I was like you.
But now I am going to rebuke you,
    and I will set forth my case before your very own eyes.”

22 Consider this, you who have forgotten God—
    Otherwise, I will tear you in pieces
        and there will be no deliverer:
23 Whoever offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies me,
    and I will reveal the salvation of God
        to whomever continues in my way.”[d]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 50:1 Or The mighty God
  2. Psalm 50:4 The Heb. lacks below
  3. Psalm 50:9 The Heb. lacks sacrificial
  4. Psalm 50:23 Lit. sets a way

Psalm 50

A psalm of Asaph.

The Mighty One, God, the Lord,(A)
    speaks and summons the earth
    from the rising of the sun to where it sets.(B)
From Zion,(C) perfect in beauty,(D)
    God shines forth.(E)
Our God comes(F)
    and will not be silent;(G)
a fire devours(H) before him,(I)
    and around him a tempest(J) rages.
He summons the heavens above,
    and the earth,(K) that he may judge his people:(L)
“Gather to me this consecrated people,(M)
    who made a covenant(N) with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim(O) his righteousness,
    for he is a God of justice.[a][b](P)

“Listen, my people, and I will speak;
    I will testify(Q) against you, Israel:
    I am God, your God.(R)
I bring no charges(S) against you concerning your sacrifices
    or concerning your burnt offerings,(T) which are ever before me.
I have no need of a bull(U) from your stall
    or of goats(V) from your pens,(W)
10 for every animal of the forest(X) is mine,
    and the cattle on a thousand hills.(Y)
11 I know every bird(Z) in the mountains,
    and the insects in the fields(AA) are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
    for the world(AB) is mine, and all that is in it.(AC)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?

14 “Sacrifice thank offerings(AD) to God,
    fulfill your vows(AE) to the Most High,(AF)
15 and call(AG) on me in the day of trouble;(AH)
    I will deliver(AI) you, and you will honor(AJ) me.”

16 But to the wicked person, God says:

“What right have you to recite my laws
    or take my covenant(AK) on your lips?(AL)
17 You hate(AM) my instruction
    and cast my words behind(AN) you.
18 When you see a thief, you join(AO) with him;
    you throw in your lot with adulterers.(AP)
19 You use your mouth for evil
    and harness your tongue to deceit.(AQ)
20 You sit and testify against your brother(AR)
    and slander your own mother’s son.
21 When you did these things and I kept silent,(AS)
    you thought I was exactly[c] like you.
But I now arraign(AT) you
    and set my accusations(AU) before you.

22 “Consider this, you who forget God,(AV)
    or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:(AW)
23 Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,
    and to the blameless[d] I will show my salvation.(AX)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 50:6 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text for God himself is judge
  2. Psalm 50:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  3. Psalm 50:21 Or thought the ‘I am’ was
  4. Psalm 50:23 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; the meaning of the Masoretic Text for this phrase is uncertain.