A Psalm of Asaf. The mighty one, God, the Lord, has spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof.

A psalm of Asaf. He spoke and called upon the earth, from the rising of the sun until its setting.

Out of Żiyyon, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth.

From Zion, the quintessence of beauty, G d shone forth.

Our God comes, and does not keep silence: a fire devours before him, and it is very tempestuous round about him.

[(a prophecy of the future redemption:)] Our G d will come and will not be silent any longer [(over the blood of His servants that has been spilt)]. A fire from before Him will consume [(the nations)], and those around Him will be swept up as in a whirlwind.

He calls to the heavens above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.

He will call to the heavens above [(to visit punishment upon the heavenly plenipotentiaries of the nations)], and to the earth [(to visit punishment upon the kings of the nations)], to take vengeance for His people.

Gather my pious ones together to me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.

[(And He will say further to heaven and earth:)] Gather unto Me My saintly ones [(from the exile, viz. Song of Songs 4:16)], who entered into My covenant over a sacrifice [i.e., who accepted the Torah with covenant and sacrifice, viz. Exodus 24:8].

And the heavens declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. (Sela.)

And [the angels of] heaven will speak [i.e., vindicate] His righteousness, [saying] that G d judges forever.

Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Yisra᾽el, and I will testify against thee: I am God, thy God.

Hear, My people, and I will speak; Israel, and I will exhort you. I am G d, your G d.

I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices; and thy burnt offerings are continually before me.

I will not rebuke you for [remissness in] your sacrifices and [because] your burnt-offerings are [not] constantly before Me.

I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds.

I will not take a young calf from your house nor goats from your enclosures.

For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.

For Mine are all the animals of the forest, the behemoth of the thousand mountains.

I know all the birds of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.

I know all the birds of the mountains, and what moves in the field is Mine.

If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.

If I grow hungry, I will not tell you thereof, for Mine is the world and its fulness.

Do I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

Do I eat the flesh of bulls? Do I drink the blood of he-goats? [(I requested sacrifices only that My will be done.)]

Offer to God a thanksgiving; and pay thy vows to the most High:

The sacrifice of G d [i.e., the sacrifice that He desires] is confession [of your sins] and [(only then)] fulfillment of your vows to the Most High [(Only then will they be accepted with favor)].

and call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Then you will call upon Me in the day of affliction, and I will extricate you, and you will thereby honor Me [(that being My honor, saving those who trust in Me)].

But to the wicked man God says, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldst take my covenant in thy mouth?

But to the evildoer G d says: What cause have you [merely] to speak My statutes, and to carry My covenant [(My Torah)] on your mouth [alone]?

Seeing thou hatest instruction, and dost cast my words behind thee.

And you have hated instruction and cast My words behind your back.

When thou didst see a thief, then thou didst consort with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.

If you saw a thief, you consented [to be] with him, and [you threw in] your lot with adulterers.

Thou givest thy mouth free rein for evil, and thy tongue frames deceit.

You loosed your mouth for evil and attached [i.e., habituated] your tongue to deceit.

Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou dost slander thy own mother’s son.

You sat down [(in a company of mockers)] to speak against your brother, and to berate the son of your mother [(gratuitously, having no inheritance claim to contest with him)].

These things hast thou done, and if I kept silence, thou wouldst think that I was altogether such a one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set the matter before thy eyes.

These [things] you did and I kept silent. You thought it was because I was with you [i.e., that I acquiesced in your evil]. But I will remonstrate with you and set [judgment] before you eyes.

Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.

Know this, now, O forgetters of G d, lest I snatch [you for judgment in the world to come] and there be no rescue.

Whoever offers praise glorifies me: and to him that orders his way aright I will show the salvation of God.

One who sacrifices [(i.e., one who brings a "sacrifice" of repentance and)] confession honors Me. And I set the way [(for sinners to repent to Me)]. I shall show him [(the penitent)] the salvation of G d.