1 A psalm of Asaph. The Lord, the Almighty God, speaks! He summons everyone on earth, from the east to the west. 2 God shines out of Mount Zion, perfect in beauty. 3 Our God arrives, and does not stay quiet. Fire flames before him, burning everything up; a violent storm rages around him. 4 He summons the heavens above and the earth to witness the judgment of his people. 5 “Bring me those who trust in me—those who confirmed the agreement with me through sacrifice.” 6 The heavens declare his decisions are right, for God himself is the judge. Selah. 7 “My people, listen to what I have to say. I am bringing charges against you, Israel. I am God, your God! 8 I'm not complaining about your sacrifices or burnt offerings that you offer all the time. 9 I do not require bulls from your barns or goats from your pens, 10 for I own all the animals of the forest, and the cattle on a thousand hills belong to me. 11 I know every bird of the mountains; all living things in the fields are mine. 12 If I were hungry, I wouldn't tell you, for the earth and everything in it are mine. 13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? 14 Give an offering of thanks to God; keep the promises you made to the Most High, 15 and call on me when you're in trouble. I will rescue you, and you will thank me.” 16 But to the wicked God says, “What's the point of mechanically repeating my laws or making empty promises about obeying the agreement? 17 You hate my discipline, and you toss my words away, leaving them behind you. 18 When you see people stealing, you admire them; you associate with adulterers. 19 With your mouth you say evil things; you use your tongue to spread lies. 20 You sit there and speak against your brother, slandering your own mother's son. 21 I kept quiet when you did these things. You thought I was someone just like you. But now I confront you, and bring my charges against you. 22 Think again, you people who dismiss God, or I will tear you apart, and no one will be able to save you. 23 But those who give an offering of thanks honor me, and to those who follow the right I will show them the salvation of God.”
Psalm 50 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Greek and Latin Bibles number most Psalms one lower than Hebrew and English Bibles.
Cross references (22)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Psalm 113:3; Matthew 25:32; Joshua 22:22; Amos 3:8; Jeremiah 32:18–19
- 2 Revelation 21:23; Psalm 48:2; Psalm 80:1; Revelation 1:16; Hosea 5:15
- 3 Numbers 16:35; Daniel 7:10; Leviticus 10:2; Matthew 3:12; Psalm 97:3–5
- 4 Deuteronomy 31:28; Deuteronomy 32:1; Isaiah 1:2; Deuteronomy 4:26; Deuteronomy 30:19
- 5 Hebrews 13:20; Exodus 24:3–8; Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 12:24; Deuteronomy 33:2–3
- 6 Psalm 97:6; Psalm 75:7; Psalm 89:5; Revelation 19:2; Romans 14:9–12
- 7 Psalm 81:8; Exodus 20:2; Jeremiah 2:9; Exodus 19:5–6; Jeremiah 2:4–5
- 8 Hebrews 10:4–10; Hosea 6:6; Isaiah 1:11–31; Psalm 40:6–8; Psalm 51:16
- 9 Micah 6:6–8; Hebrews 10:4–6; Acts 17:25; Psalm 69:31; Isaiah 43:23–24
- 10 Jeremiah 27:5–6; Psalm 8:6–8; Psalm 104:14; Daniel 2:38; Psalm 104:24–25
- 11 Matthew 6:26; Genesis 1:20–22; Job 39:26–30; Luke 12:24; Matthew 10:29–31
- 12 Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 10:14; Psalm 24:1–2; 1 Corinthians 10:26–28; Job 41:11
- 14 Hebrews 13:15; Psalm 56:12; Deuteronomy 23:21; Psalm 107:21–22; Psalm 116:12–14
- 15 Psalm 107:28; Psalm 91:15; Psalm 34:3–4; Psalm 107:19; Zechariah 13:9
- 16 Isaiah 29:13; Psalm 78:36–38; Psalm 25:14; Isaiah 55:6–7; Romans 2:17–24
- 17 Nehemiah 9:26; Proverbs 12:1; 2 Timothy 4:3–4; Proverbs 1:28–29; 2 Thessalonians 2:10–12
- 18 Romans 1:32; 1 Timothy 5:22; Hebrews 13:4; Proverbs 7:19–23; Ephesians 5:11–13
- 19 Psalm 10:7; Jeremiah 9:5; Revelation 21:8; Psalm 52:2–4; Isaiah 59:3–4
- 20 Matthew 10:21; Leviticus 19:16; Proverbs 10:18; Revelation 12:10; Matthew 5:11
- 21 Romans 2:4–5; Proverbs 29:1; Isaiah 57:11; Psalm 94:7–11; Ecclesiastes 12:14
- 22 Job 8:13; Hosea 4:6; Psalm 9:17; Psalm 7:2; Psalm 10:4
- 23 Psalm 91:16; James 3:13; Psalm 24:4–5; Psalm 86:12; Psalm 50:14–15
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
"Hear ye these things, all ye nations" (ver. 1). Not then you only who are here. For of what power is our voice so to cry out, as that all nations may hear?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
Of whom He again speaks: "The God of gods, the Lord hath spoken, and hath called the earth." Who is meant by God?
And regarding the name itself, if they see fit to call such blessed and immortal creatures gods, this need not give rise to any serious discussion between us, since in our own Scriptures we read, "The God of gods, the Lord hath spoken;" and again, "Confess to the God of gods;" and again, "He is a great King above all …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
And this He saith unto them in irony; as when He said, "Behold, Adam is become as one of us;" and again, "If I were hungry, I would not tell thee." For that no man on earth was righteous, Paul declared, saying, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." And by this too the others …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… comes, not to be judged again, but to judge them who judged Him; He who before held His peace when judged, shall remind the transgressors who did those daring deeds at the Cross, and shall say, These things hast thou done, and I kept silence.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)