Psalms 50

¹ The Mighty One, God, the Lord,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to where it sets.
² From Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth.
³ Our God comes
and will not be silent;
a fire devours before him,
and around him a tempest rages.
⁴ He summons the heavens above,
and the earth, that he may judge his people:
⁵ “Gather to me this consecrated people,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
⁶ And the heavens proclaim his righteousness,
for he is a God of justice.

⁷ “Listen, my people, and I will speak;
I will testify against you, Israel:
I am God, your God.
⁸ I bring no charges against you concerning your sacrifices
or concerning your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.
⁹ I have no need of a bull from your stall
or of goats from your pens,
¹⁰ for every animal of the forest is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.
¹¹ I know every bird in the mountains,
and the insects in the fields are mine.
¹² If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
¹³ Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?

¹⁴ “Sacrifice thank offerings to God,
fulfill your vows to the Most High,
¹⁵ and call on me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
¹⁶ But to the wicked person, God says:

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

²² “Consider this, you who forget God,
or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:
²³ Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,
and to the blameless I will show my salvation.”