Corpus Psalterium · Vol. II
Psalm L (50)
Cantillated — Covenant Courtroom Judgment
Paul Whitehorn
Study the Word
Psalm 50 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.
A Psalm by Asaph.
The Mighty One, God, Yahweh, speaks, and calls the earth from sunrise to sunset.
מִזְמ֗וֹר לְאָ֫סָ֥ף אֵ֤ל ׀ אֱֽלֹהִ֡ים יְֽהוָ֗ה דִּבֶּ֥ר וַיִּקְרָא־אָ֑רֶץ מִמִּזְרַח־שֶׁ֝֗מֶשׁ עַד־מְבֹאֽוֹ׃
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines out.
מִצִּיּ֥וֹן מִכְלַל־יֹ֗פִי אֱלֹהִ֥ים הוֹפִֽיעַ׃
Our God comes, and does not keep silent. A fire devours before him. It is very stormy around him.
יָ֤בֹ֥א אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ וְֽאַל־יֶ֫חֱרַ֥שׁ אֵשׁ־לְפָנָ֥יו תֹּאכֵ֑ל וּ֝סְבִיבָ֗יו נִשְׂעֲרָ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃
He calls to the heavens above, to the earth, that he may judge his people:
יִקְרָ֣א אֶל־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם מֵעָ֑ל וְאֶל־הָ֝אָ֗רֶץ לָדִ֥ין עַמּֽוֹ׃
“Gather my saints together to me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
אִסְפוּ־לִ֥י חֲסִידָ֑י כֹּרְתֵ֖י בְרִיתִ֣י עֲלֵי־זָֽבַח׃
The heavens shall declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge. Selah.
וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ שָׁמַ֣יִם צִדְק֑וֹ כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֓ים ׀ שֹׁפֵ֖ט ה֣וּא סֶֽלָה׃
“Hear, my people, and I will speak. Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God.
שִׁמְעָ֤ה עַמִּ֨י ׀ וַאֲדַבֵּ֗רָה יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל וְאָעִ֣ידָה בָּ֑ךְ אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֱלֹהֶ֣יךָ אָנֹֽכִי׃
I don’t rebuke you for your sacrifices. Your burnt offerings are continually before me.
לֹ֣א עַל־זְ֭בָחֶיךָ אוֹכִיחֶ֑ךָ וְעוֹלֹתֶ֖יךָ לְנֶגְדִּ֣י תָמִֽיד׃
I have no need for a bull from your stall, nor male goats from your pens.
לֹא־אֶקַּ֣ח מִבֵּיתְךָ֣ פָ֑ר מִ֝מִּכְלְאֹתֶ֗יךָ עַתּוּדִֽים׃
For every animal of the forest is mine, and the livestock on a thousand hills.
כִּי־לִ֥י כָל־חַיְתוֹ־יָ֑עַר בְּ֝הֵמ֗וֹת בְּהַרְרֵי־אָֽלֶף׃
I know all the birds of the mountains. The wild animals of the field are mine.
יָ֭דַעְתִּי כָּל־ע֣וֹף הָרִ֑ים וְזִ֥יז שָׂ֝דַ֗י עִמָּדִֽי׃
If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
אִם־אֶ֭רְעַב לֹא־אֹ֣מַר לָ֑ךְ כִּי־לִ֥י תֵ֝בֵ֗ל וּמְלֹאָֽהּ׃
Will I eat the meat of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
הַֽ֭אוֹכַל בְּשַׂ֣ר אַבִּירִ֑ים וְדַ֖ם עַתּוּדִ֣ים אֶשְׁתֶּֽה׃
Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Pay your vows to the Most High.
זְבַ֣ח לֵאלֹהִ֣ים תּוֹדָ֑ה וְשַׁלֵּ֖ם לְעֶלְי֣וֹן נְדָרֶֽיךָ׃
Call on me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
וּ֭קְרָאֵנִי בְּי֣וֹם צָרָ֑ה אֲ֝חַלֶּצְךָ֗ וּֽתְכַבְּדֵֽנִי׃
But to the wicked God says, “What right do you have to declare my statutes, that you have taken my covenant on your lips,
וְלָ֤רָשָׁ֨ע ׀ אָ֘מַ֤ר אֱלֹהִ֗ים מַה־לְּ֭ךָ לְסַפֵּ֣ר חֻקָּ֑י וַתִּשָּׂ֖א בְרִיתִ֣י עֲלֵי־פִֽיךָ׃
since you hate instruction, and throw my words behind you?
וְ֭אַתָּה שָׂנֵ֣אתָ מוּסָ֑ר וַתַּשְׁלֵ֖ךְ דְּבָרַ֣י אַחֲרֶֽיךָ׃
When you saw a thief, you consented with him, and have participated with adulterers.
אִם־רָאִ֣יתָ גַ֭נָּב וַתִּ֣רֶץ עִמּ֑וֹ וְעִ֖ם מְנָאֲפִ֣ים חֶלְקֶֽךָ׃
“You give your mouth to evil. Your tongue frames deceit.
פִּ֭יךָ שָׁלַ֣חְתָּ בְרָעָ֑ה וּ֝לְשׁוֹנְךָ֗ תַּצְמִ֥יד מִרְמָֽה׃
You sit and speak against your brother. You slander your own mother’s son.
תֵּ֭שֵׁב בְּאָחִ֣יךָ תְדַבֵּ֑ר בְּבֶֽן־אִ֝מְּךָ֗ תִּתֶּן־דֹּֽפִי׃
You have done these things, and I kept silent. You thought that I was just like you. I will rebuke you, and accuse you in front of your eyes.
אֵ֤לֶּה עָשִׂ֨יתָ ׀ וְֽהֶחֱרַ֗שְׁתִּי דִּמִּ֗יתָ הֱֽיוֹת־אֶֽהְיֶ֥ה כָמ֑וֹךָ אוֹכִיחֲךָ֖ וְאֶֽעֶרְכָ֣ה לְעֵינֶֽיךָ׃
“Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you into pieces, and there be no one to deliver.
בִּֽינוּ־נָ֣א זֹ֭את שֹׁכְחֵ֣י אֱל֑וֹהַּ פֶּן־אֶ֝טְרֹ֗ף וְאֵ֣ין מַצִּֽיל׃
Whoever offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies me, and prepares his way so that I will show God’s salvation to him.”
זֹבֵ֥חַ תּוֹדָ֗ה יְֽכַ֫בְּדָ֥נְנִי וְשָׂ֥ם דֶּ֑רֶךְ אַ֝רְאֶ֗נּוּ בְּיֵ֣שַׁע אֱלֹהִֽים׃
Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English: World English Bible (public domain). Verse numbers follow the English Bible; the Hebrew numbering is shown beneath where it differs.
The Mighty One…
God, the LORD
speaks…
He calls the earth
from sunrise
to its setting
Out of Zion
perfect in beauty
God shines forth
Our God comes
He will not be silent
Fire devours before Him
the storm surrounds Him
He calls to the heavens
above
and to the earth—
to judge His people
Gather to Me
My faithful ones
Gather to Me
those bound by covenant
The heavens declare
His righteousness
God Himself
is Judge
Hear, My people—
I will speak
Israel—
I testify against you
I am God
your God
I do not rebuke you
for your sacrifices
They are always before Me
I take no bull
from your house
no goats
from your fields
Every beast is Mine
every creature
every bird
Do I eat
the flesh of bulls
Do I drink
their blood
Offer to God
a sacrifice of thanks
Call on Me
I will deliver you
But to the wicked—
God says
What right have you
to speak My laws
You hate correction
You cast My words behind you
You run with thieves
you stand with adulterers
Your mouth speaks evil
your tongue weaves lies
You accuse your brother
your own blood
You did these things
and I was silent
You thought—
I was like you
But now I rebuke you
I set it before your eyes
Consider this—
you who forget God
or I will tear you apart
and none will rescue
The one who offers thanks
honors Me
The one who orders his way
will see
the salvation of God
The Mighty One…
God, the LORD
has spoken
Lyrics by Paul Whitehorn: a singable English rendering of the Hebrew, as sung on this recording.
Corpus Psalterium sets each psalm to music by its Hebrew grammar. Didactic psalms teach; Cantillated psalms are spoken, sung or performed before God. Hear all 150 psalms free.