The Mighty One Calls 1 UST A Levite from the clan of Asaph wrote this song. Yahweh is the only true God. He has decreed that people from all over the world should come to him. BSB BSB: A Psalm of Asaph. The Mighty One, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from where the sun rises to where it sets.
2 UST Mount Zion is as wonderful as a place can be{ because God’ s temple is there}. God’ s presence there is like a light that shines brightly. BSB BSB: From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.
3 UST Our God is approaching us{ to judge us}. He will now tell us{ what we have done right and what we have done wrong}. He is coming very powerfully, as he did at Mount Sinai, when there was a great thunderstorm and a burning fire on the mountain as he approached it. BSB BSB: Our God approaches and will not be silent! Consuming fire precedes Him, and a tempest rages around Him.
4 UST He calls upon the sky and the land{ to serve as witnesses of his covenant with the Israelites}. This demonstrates that he will judge them fairly{ according to that covenant}. BSB BSB: He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that He may judge His people:
5 UST He says,“Summon those who worship me faithfully, those who made a covenant with me that involved offering sacrifices to me.” BSB BSB: “Gather to Me My saints, who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”
6 UST The sky displays the character of God so clearly, it is as though it is saying,“God is righteous, and he is the supreme judge.” Selah BSB BSB: And the heavens proclaim His righteousness, for God Himself is Judge. Selah
7 UST God says,“You Israelite people who belong to me, listen as I speak to you. I am the God whom you worship. I am going to tell you what you have done right and what you have done wrong. BSB BSB: “Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God.
8 UST You continually burn animals completely on the temple altar as sacrifices to me, so I have no complaint that you have failed to offer sacrifices to me. BSB BSB: I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices, and your burnt offerings are ever before Me.
9 UST However, I do not really need the bulls from your herds or the goats from your pens{ that you sacrifice to me}. BSB BSB: I have no need for a bull from your stall or goats from your pens,
10 UST I do not need them, because all of the animals that live in the forests belong to me. All of the cattle everywhere on earth also belong to me. BSB BSB: for every beast of the forest is Mine—the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 UST I own all the birds that live in the mountains. All the little creatures that move around in the fields also belong to me. BSB BSB: I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are Mine.
12 UST Because everything in the world belongs to me, if I were hungry, I would not tell you{ so that you would bring me some food to eat}. BSB BSB: If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and the fullness thereof.
13 UST When you sacrifice bulls to me, I do not eat their flesh, and when you offer goats to me, I do not drink their blood. BSB BSB: Do I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
14 UST I want you to offer sacrifices to me, your God, because you have promised to do that to thank me for helping you. I am the God who is greater than all other spirit beings. BSB BSB: Sacrifice a thank offering to God, and fulfill your vows to the Most High.
15 UST So pray to me when you are in trouble. If you do that, I will rescue you, and then you will honor me{ publicly by offering a sacrifice}.” BSB BSB: Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
16 UST But God says to wicked people,“You should not be reciting my commandments or talking about the covenant that I made with you! BSB BSB: To the wicked, however, God says, “What right have you to recite My statutes and to bear My covenant on your lips?
17 UST You should not do that, because you hate it when I correct you, and when I tell you to do something, you refuse to obey me. BSB BSB: For you hate My instruction and cast My words behind you.
18 UST When you see someone stealing, you decide that it is acceptable for him to steal. When you learn that people are having sexual relations with people other than their spouses, you do the same thing. BSB BSB: When you see a thief, you befriend him, and throw in your lot with adulterers.
19 UST You do not restrain yourselves from saying wicked things, and you make up things to say to deceive people. BSB BSB: You unleash your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit.
20 UST You consistently say bad things about members of your own family, even about your closest relatives. BSB BSB: You sit and malign your brother; you slander your own mother’s son.
21 UST You do all those things, and I have not said anything to you about them, so you think that I do not care about them any more than you do. But now I am going to show you{ all the wicked things you have done}, and I am going to judge and punish you for doing them. BSB BSB: You have done these things, and I kept silent; you thought I was just like you. But now I rebuke you and accuse you to your face.
22 UST Many of you have been ignoring me. Pay attention to what I am saying now! If you do not, I will destroy you. No one will be able to rescue you. BSB BSB: Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:
23 UST When people publicly offer sacrifices to thank me for helping them, that honors me greatly. If people live as I want people to live, I will rescue them when they are in trouble.” BSB BSB: He who sacrifices a thank offering honors Me, and to him who rightly orders his way, I will show the salvation of God.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.