God the Righteous Judge
A Psalm of Asaph.
1 TheMighty One, God theLord,
Has spoken and called the earth
From the rising of the sun to its going down.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
# God will shine forth.
3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent;
# A fire shall devour before Him,
And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.
4 He shall call to the heavens from above,
And to the earth, that He may judge His people:
5 “GatherMy saints together to Me,
# Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”
6 Let theheavens declare His righteousness,
# ForGod HimselfisJudge.
Selah
7 “Hear, O My people, and I will speak,
O Israel, and I will testify against you;
# IamGod, your God!
8 I will not rebuke youfor your sacrifices
Or your burnt offerings,
Whicharecontinually before Me.
9 I will not take a bull from your house,
Norgoats out of your folds.
10 For every beast of the forestisMine,
Andthe cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the mountains,
And the wild beasts of the fieldareMine.
12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you;
# For the worldisMine, and all its fullness.
13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls,
Or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer to God thanksgiving,
# Andpay your vows to the Most High.
15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
16 But to the wicked God says:
“Whatrighthave you to declare My statutes,
Or take My covenant in your mouth,
17 Seeing you hate instruction
And cast My words behind you?
18 When you saw a thief, youconsented with him,
# And have been apartaker with adulterers.
19 You give your mouth to evil,
# Andyour tongue frames deceit.
20 You sitandspeak against your brother;
You slander your own mother’s son.
21 Thesethingsyou have done, and I kept silent;
# You thought that I was altogether like you;
ButI will rebuke you,
# Andsetthemin order before your eyes.
22 “Now consider this, you whoforget God,
Lest I tearyouin pieces,
Andtherebenone to deliver:
23 Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;
# Andto him who ordershisconductaright
I will show the salvation of God.”