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Christian prayer

Psalm 50

Psalm 50 from the Bible, with its original text and meaning.

  • 23 verses
  • About 1 minute to recite
  • From the Bible

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  1. 1

    מִזְמ֗וֹר לְאָ֫סָ֥ף אֵ֤ל ׀ אֱֽלֹהִ֡ים יְֽהוָ֗ה דִּבֶּ֥ר וַיִּקְרָא־אָ֑רֶץ מִמִּזְרַח־שֶׁ֝֗מֶשׁ עַד־מְבֹאֽוֹ׃

    A Psalm of Asaph. The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.

  2. 2

    מִצִּיּ֥וֹן מִכְלַל־יֹ֗פִי אֱלֹהִ֥ים הוֹפִֽיעַ׃

    Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.

  3. 3

    יָ֤בֹ֥א אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ וְֽאַל־יֶ֫חֱרַ֥שׁ אֵשׁ־לְפָנָ֥יו תֹּאכֵ֑ל וּ֝סְבִיבָ֗יו נִשְׂעֲרָ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃

    Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.

  4. 4

    יִקְרָ֣א אֶל־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם מֵעָ֑ל וְאֶל־הָ֝אָ֗רֶץ לָדִ֥ין עַמּֽוֹ׃

    He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.

  5. 5

    אִסְפוּ־לִ֥י חֲסִידָ֑י כֹּרְתֵ֖י בְרִיתִ֣י עֲלֵי־זָֽבַח׃

    Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.

  6. 6

    וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ שָׁמַ֣יִם צִדְק֑וֹ כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֓ים ׀ שֹׁפֵ֖ט ה֣וּא סֶֽלָה׃

    And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.

  7. 7

    שִׁמְעָ֤ה עַמִּ֨י ׀ וַאֲדַבֵּ֗רָה יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל וְאָעִ֣ידָה בָּ֑ךְ אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֱלֹהֶ֣יךָ אָנֹֽכִי׃

    Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God.

  8. 8

    לֹ֣א עַל־זְ֭בָחֶיךָ אוֹכִיחֶ֑ךָ וְעוֹלֹתֶ֖יךָ לְנֶגְדִּ֣י תָמִֽיד׃

    I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.

  9. 9

    לֹא־אֶקַּ֣ח מִבֵּיתְךָ֣ פָ֑ר מִ֝מִּכְלְאֹתֶ֗יךָ עַתּוּדִֽים׃

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

  10. 10

    כִּי־לִ֥י כָל־חַיְתוֹ־יָ֑עַר בְּ֝הֵמ֗וֹת בְּהַרְרֵי־אָֽלֶף׃

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

  11. 11

    יָ֭דַעְתִּי כָּל־ע֣וֹף הָרִ֑ים וְזִ֥יז שָׂ֝דַ֗י עִמָּדִֽי׃

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

  12. 12

    אִם־אֶ֭רְעַב לֹא־אֹ֣מַר לָ֑ךְ כִּי־לִ֥י תֵ֝בֵ֗ל וּמְלֹאָֽהּ׃

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

  13. 13

    הַֽ֭אוֹכַל בְּשַׂ֣ר אַבִּירִ֑ים וְדַ֖ם עַתּוּדִ֣ים אֶשְׁתֶּֽה׃

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

  14. 14

    זְבַ֣ח לֵאלֹהִ֣ים תּוֹדָ֑ה וְשַׁלֵּ֖ם לְעֶלְי֣וֹן נְדָרֶֽיךָ׃

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

  15. 15

    וּ֭קְרָאֵנִי בְּי֣וֹם צָרָ֑ה אֲ֝חַלֶּצְךָ֗ וּֽתְכַבְּדֵֽנִי׃

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

  16. 16

    וְלָ֤רָשָׁ֨ע ׀ אָ֘מַ֤ר אֱלֹהִ֗ים מַה־לְּ֭ךָ לְסַפֵּ֣ר חֻקָּ֑י וַתִּשָּׂ֖א בְרִיתִ֣י עֲלֵי־פִֽיךָ׃

    But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?

  17. 17

    וְ֭אַתָּה שָׂנֵ֣אתָ מוּסָ֑ר וַתַּשְׁלֵ֖ךְ דְּבָרַ֣י אַחֲרֶֽיךָ׃

    Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee.

  18. 18

    אִם־רָאִ֣יתָ גַ֭נָּב וַתִּ֣רֶץ עִמּ֑וֹ וְעִ֖ם מְנָאֲפִ֣ים חֶלְקֶֽךָ׃

    When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.

  19. 19

    פִּ֭יךָ שָׁלַ֣חְתָּ בְרָעָ֑ה וּ֝לְשׁוֹנְךָ֗ תַּצְמִ֥יד מִרְמָֽה׃

    Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.

  20. 20

    תֵּ֭שֵׁב בְּאָחִ֣יךָ תְדַבֵּ֑ר בְּבֶֽן־אִ֝מְּךָ֗ תִּתֶּן־דֹּֽפִי׃

    Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son.

  21. 21

    אֵ֤לֶּה עָשִׂ֨יתָ ׀ וְֽהֶחֱרַ֗שְׁתִּי דִּמִּ֗יתָ הֱֽיוֹת־אֶֽהְיֶ֥ה כָמ֑וֹךָ אוֹכִיחֲךָ֖ וְאֶֽעֶרְכָ֣ה לְעֵינֶֽיךָ׃

    These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.

  22. 22

    בִּֽינוּ־נָ֣א זֹ֭את שֹׁכְחֵ֣י אֱל֑וֹהַּ פֶּן־אֶ֝טְרֹ֗ף וְאֵ֣ין מַצִּֽיל׃

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

  23. 23

    זֹבֵ֥חַ תּוֹדָ֗ה יְֽכַ֫בְּדָ֥נְנִי וְשָׂ֥ם דֶּ֑רֶךְ אַ֝רְאֶ֗נּוּ בְּיֵ֣שַׁע אֱלֹהִֽים׃

    Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.

Wording: The Holy Bible, King James Version, 1611 (standard text of 1769). Copied word for word from the edition named here

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When it is prayed

Many Christians recite Psalm 50 during personal prayer or communal worship, especially when reflecting on gratitude and the sincerity of their faith. In the tradition, it invites people to examine their conduct and offer thanksgiving rather than rely on outward religious observance alone.

  • Personal prayer
  • Communal worship
  • Thanksgiving
  • Self-examination

Where it comes from

Psalm 50 comes from the biblical Book of Psalms and was originally composed in Hebrew. Its heading attributes it to Asaph, a name associated with worship and sacred music in ancient Israel. Psalm numbering differs between biblical traditions, so the same number can refer to a different psalm in some Christian prayer books.

In the libraryThe King James Version of the BibleSee the book

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Questions about Psalm 50

How many verses does Psalm 50 have?

Psalm 50 has 23 verses.

What is Psalm 50 about?

It presents God calling his people to account for their worship and conduct. It emphasizes thanksgiving, sincerity and faithful living rather than sacrifice offered without obedience.

Who wrote Psalm 50?

Its biblical heading attributes it to Asaph. This traditional attribution does not establish the precise circumstances of its composition.

Why is Psalm 50 sometimes a different text?

Hebrew and Greek biblical traditions number some psalms differently. In prayer books following Greek numbering, Psalm 50 is the penitential psalm beginning with a plea for God's mercy, rather than the psalm attributed to Asaph.

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