Psalm 50

¹The Lord, the God of gods, has spoken; *he has called the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.

²Out of Zion, perfect in its beauty, *God reveals himself in glory.

³Our God will come and will not keep silence; *before him there is a consuming flame, and round about him a raging storm.

⁴He calls the heavens and the earth from above *to witness the judgment of his people.

⁵“Gather before me my loyal followers, *those who have made a covenant with me and sealed it with sacrifice.”

⁶Let the heavens declare the rightness of his cause; *for God himself is judge.

⁷Hear, O my people, and I will speak: “O Israel, I will bear witness against you; *for I am God, your God.

⁸I do not accuse you because of your sacrifices; *your offerings are always before me.

⁹I will take no bull-calf from your stalls, *nor he-goats out of your pens;

¹⁰For all the beasts of the forest are mine, *the herds in their thousands upon the hills.

¹¹I know every bird in the sky, *and the creatures of the fields are in my sight.

¹²If I were hungry, I would not tell you, *for the whole world is mine and all that is in it.

¹³Do you think I eat the flesh of bulls, *or drink the blood of goats?

¹⁴Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving *and make good your vows to the Most High.

¹⁵Call upon me in the day of trouble; *I will deliver you, and you shall honor me.”

¹⁶But to the wicked God says: *“Why do you recite my statutes, and take my covenant upon your lips;

¹⁷Since you refuse discipline, *and toss my words behind your back?

¹⁸When you see a thief, you make him your friend, *and you cast in your lot with adulterers.

¹⁹You have loosed your lips for evil, *and harnessed your tongue to a lie.

²⁰You are always speaking evil of your brother *and slandering your own mother’s son.

²¹These things you have done, and I kept still, *and you thought that I am like you.”

²²“I have made my accusation; *I have put my case in order before your eyes.

²³Consider this well, you who forget God, *lest I rend you and there be none to deliver you.

²⁴Whoever offers me the sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me; *but to those who keep in my way will I show the salvation of God.”