Bible Verse Lookup
Chapter 50
The Acceptable Sacrifice
1A psalm of Asaph.
I
The LORD, the God of gods, has spoken and summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. u Dt 10, 17; Jos 22, 22 . 2From Zion God shines forth, v Ps 48, 2 . perfect in beauty. 3Our God comes and will not be silent! Devouring fire precedes, storming fiercely round about. w Ps 97, 3; Dn 7, 10 . 4God summons the heavens above and the earth to the judgment of his people: 5“Gather my faithful ones before me, those who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” 6The heavens proclaim divine justice, for God alone is the judge. x Pss 19, 2; 97, 6 . Selah
II
7“Listen, my people, I will speak; Israel, I will testify against you; God, your God, am I. 8Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you, nor for your holocausts, set before me daily. 9I need no bullock from your house, no goats from your fold. y Ps 69, 32; Am 5, 21–22 . 10For every animal of the forest is mine, beasts by the thousands on my mountains. 11I know every bird of the heavens; the creatures of the field belong to me. 12Were I hungry, I would not tell you, for mine is the world and all that fills it. z Pss 24, 1; 89, 12; Dt 10, 14; 1 Cor 10, 26 . 13Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? 14Offer praise as your sacrifice to God; a Heb 13, 15 . fulfill your vows to the Most High. 15Then call on me in time of distress; b Ps 77, 3 . I will rescue you, and you shall honor me.”
III
16But to the wicked God says:“Why do you recite my commandments and profess my covenant with your lips? 17You hate discipline; you cast my words behind you! 18When you see thieves, you befriend them; with adulterers you throw in your lot. 19You give your mouth free rein for evil; you harness your tongue to deceit. 20You sit maligning your own kin, slandering the child of your own mother. 21When you do these things should I be silent? Or do you think that I am like you? I accuse you, I lay the charge before you.”
IV
22“Understand this, you who forget God, lest I attack you with no one to rescue. 23Those who offer praise as a sacrifice honor me; to the obedient I will show the salvation of God.” c Ps 91, 16 .
