Psalm 50 & 53

Psalm 50

A psalm of Asaph.

1The Mighty One, God, the Lord,

speaks and summons the earth

from the rising of the sun to where it sets.

2From Zion, perfect in beauty,

God shines forth.

3Our God comes

and will not be silent;

a fire devours before him,

and around him a tempest rages.

4He 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.”

6And 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.

8I bring no charges against you concerning your sacrifices

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

9I have no need of a bull from your stall

or of goats from your pens,

10for every animal of the forest is mine,

and the cattle on a thousand hills.

11I know every bird in the mountains,

and the insects in the fields are mine.

12If I were hungry I would not tell you,

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

13Do 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,

15and call on me in the day of trouble;

I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”

16But to the wicked person, God says:

“What right have you to recite my laws

or take my covenant on your lips?

17You hate my instruction

and cast my words behind you.

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

you throw in your lot with adulterers.

19You use your mouth for evil

and harness your tongue to deceit.

20You sit and testify against your brother

and slander your own mother’s son.

21When you did these things and I kept silent,

you thought I was exactlylike 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:

23Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,

and to the blamelessI will show my salvation.”

Psalm 53

For the director of music. According to mahalath.A maskilof David.

1The fool says in his heart,

“There is no God.”

They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;

there is no one who does good.

2God looks down from heaven

on all mankind

to see if there are any who understand,

any who seek God.

3Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;

there is no one who does good,

not even one.

4Do all these evildoers know nothing?

They devour my people as though eating bread;

they never call on God.

5But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,

where there was nothing to dread.

God scattered the bones of those who attacked you;

you put them to shame, for God despised them.

6Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!

When God restores his people,

let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!