God as Judge

A psalm of •Asaph.a

1•Yahweh, the God of godsb speaks;

He summons the earth from east to west.c, d

2From •Zion, the perfection of beauty,

God appears in radiance.e, f

3Our God is coming; He will not be silent!

Devouring fire precedes Him,

and a storm rages around Him.g

4On high, He summons heaven and earth

in order to judge His people.h

5“Gather My faithful ones to Me,

those who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”i

6The heavens proclaim His righteousness,j

for God is the Judge.k•Selah

7“Listen, My people, and I will speak;

I will testify against you, Israel.

I am God, your God.l

8I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices

or for your •burnt offerings,

which are continually before Me.m

9I will not accept a bull from your household

or male goats from your pens,n

10for every animal of the forest is Mine,

the cattle on a thousand hills.

11I know every bird of the mountains,o

and the creatures of the field are Mine.p

12If I were hungry, I would not tell you,

for the world and everything in it is Mine.q

13Do I eat the flesh of bulls

or drink the blood of goats?r

14Sacrifice a thank offering to God,s

and pay your vows to the •Most High.t

15Call on Me in a day of trouble;

I will rescue you, and you will honor Me.”u

16But God says to the wicked:

“What right do you have to recite My statutes

and to take My covenant on your lips?v

17You hate instruction

and turn your back on My words.w, x

18When you see a thief,

you make friends with him,

and you associate with adulterers.y

19You unleash your mouth for evil

and harness your tongue for deceit.z

20You sit, maligning your brother,

slandering your mother’s son.aa

21You have done these things, and I kept silent;

you thought I was just like you.ab

But I will rebuke you

and lay out the case before you.ac, ad

22“Understand this, you who forget God,

or I will tear you apart,

and there will be no one to rescue you.ae

23Whoever sacrifices a thank offering honors Me,

and whoever orders his conduct,

I will show him the salvation of God.”af