Psalm 50
PSALM 50
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[Psalm Of Asaph] The God of gods, Yahweh, is speaking, from east to west he summons the earth.
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From Zion, perfection of beauty, he shines forth;
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he is coming, our God, and will not be silent. Devouring fire ahead of him, raging tempest around him,
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he summons the heavens from on high, and the earth to judge his people.
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‘Gather to me my faithful, who sealed my covenant by sacrifice.’
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The heavens proclaim his saving justice, ‘God himself is judge.’ (Pause)
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‘Listen, my people, I am speaking, Israel, I am giving evidence against you, I, God, your God.
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‘It is not with your sacrifices that I find fault, those burnt offerings constantly before me;
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I will not accept any bull from your homes, nor a single goat from your folds.
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‘For all forest creatures are mine already, the animals on the mountains in their thousands.
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I know every bird in the air, whatever moves in the fields is mine.
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‘If I am hungry I shall not tell you, since the world and all it holds is mine.
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Am I to eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?
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‘Let thanksgiving be your sacrifice to God, fulfil the vows you make to the Most High;
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then if you call to me in time of trouble I will rescue you and you will honour me.’
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But to the wicked, God says: ‘What right have you to recite my statutes, to take my covenant on your lips,
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when you detest my teaching, and thrust my words behind you?
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‘You make friends with a thief as soon as you see one, you feel at home with adulterers,
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your conversation is devoted to wickedness, and your tongue to inventing lies.
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‘You sit there, slandering your own brother, you malign your own mother’s son.
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You do this, and am I to say nothing? Do you think that I am really like you? I charge you, indict you to your face.
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‘Think it out, you who forget God, or I will tear you apart without hope of a rescuer.
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Honour to me is a sacrifice of thanksgiving; to the upright I will show God’s salvation.’
