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Passage: Psalms 50:1-23

Key verse: 23

NIV

Psalm 50
A psalm of Asaph.

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

7 “Listen, my people, and I will speak;
    I will testify(Q) against you, Israel:
    I am God, your God.(R)
8 I bring no charges(S) against you concerning your sacrifices
    or concerning your burnt offerings,(T) which are ever before me.
9 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)”

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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.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

God Himself Is Judge

A Psalm of (A)Asaph.

50 (B)The Mighty One, God the Lord,
    speaks and summons the earth
    (C)from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, (D)the perfection of beauty,
    (E)God shines forth.

3 Our God comes; he (F)does not keep silence;[a]
    before him is a devouring (G)fire,
    around him a mighty tempest.
4 (H)He calls to the heavens above
    and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
5 “Gather to me my faithful ones,
    who made (I)a covenant with me by sacrifice!”
6 (J)The heavens declare his righteousness,
    for (K)God himself is judge! Selah

7 (L)“Hear, O my people, and I will speak;
    O Israel, I will testify against you.
    (M)I am God, your God.
8 Not for your sacrifices (N)do I rebuke you;
    your burnt offerings are continually before me.
9 I will not accept a bull from your house
    or goats from your folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is mine,
    the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 (O)I know all the birds of the hills,
    and all that moves in the field is mine.

12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
    (P)for the world and its fullness are mine.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?
14 (Q)Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,[b]
    and (R)perform your vows to the Most High,
15 and (S)call upon me in the day of trouble;
    I will (T)deliver you, and you shall (U)glorify me.”

16 But to the wicked God says:
    “What right have you to recite my statutes
    or take my covenant on your lips?
17 (V)For you hate discipline,
    (W)and you cast my words behind you.
18 If you see a thief, (X)you are pleased with him,
    (Y)and you keep company with adulterers.

19 “You give your mouth free rein for evil,
    (Z)and your tongue frames deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother;
    you slander your own mother's son.
21 These things you have done, and I (AA)have been silent;
    you thought that I[c] was one like yourself.
But now I (AB)rebuke you and (AC)lay the charge before you.

22 “Mark this, then, you who (AD)forget God,
    lest I tear you apart, and there be (AE)none to deliver!
23 The one who (AF)offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
    to one who (AG)orders his way rightly
    I will show the (AH)salvation of God!”

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Footnotes
  1. Psalm 50:3 Or May our God come, and not keep silence
  2. Psalm 50:14 Or Make thanksgiving your sacrifice to God
  3. Psalm 50:21 Or that the I am
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. Worship God's beauty and justice (1-6) The Psalmist reveals God's majesty and justice so we may worship him for who he is. God will call the whole earth into judgment, starting with his holy people (1 Peter 4:17). God's desire is to set apart a covenant people for himself (5). He has done this for us through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross (6). 2. Honor God with thankfulness (7-23) In this part, God speaks and tells how he will judge his chosen people. God was not impressed by Israel's superficial worship with many ritual offerings, though they performed these very regularly. Rather, God's favorite offering is when we are thankful in our hearts for his grace. A thankful heart is in the right condition to receive God's salvation (23). When our heart attitude is right through thankfulness, we can confidently call on God for all our needs and he will answer us. Those who hypocritically ignore God's instruction and indulge in evil-doing will not escape God's judgment.

Prayer: Father, thank you for calling us to yourself to be your people through Jesus. Help me worship you properly with a thankful heart.

One Word: Make the offering of thankfulness