(An Asaph psalm.)
The Forceful,
God,
Yahweh —
He speaks,
Calling the world to himself,
All of it,
From pole to pole.
Out of Zion’s temple,
Exquisite in it beauty,
God shines.
An inferno blazes ahead of him
As our God comes.
A tempest rages around him
And he is not silent.
“I summon you skies;
I summon you earth,”
He declares,
Preparing to judge his people.
“I require your presence,
You so-called holy people
Who have bound yourself
By blood
To me.”
The skies above have watched
Every good deed he’s done
And give witness,
For he is justice.
“Listen to me, my people,
Hear every word
Of my testimony against you.
I am God.
I am your very own God.
Your sacrifices aren’t the problem.
My nose is filled with
Burnt offering smoke.
I don’t need your bulls and goats.
Every woodland deer is mine
And every grazing cow on every hill.
Every soaring hawk is mine
And every praying mantis in every field.
If I were hungry,
Do you think I’d beg
For your table scraps?
Do you really think
I have an appetite for bull meat
And goat blood?
“Give thanks.
That’s the kind of sacrifice
I want you to give.
Keep your promises to me.
I’m God the Great.
Call me for help
And I’ll help,
And you’ll respect me for it.”
God turns to the crooked-hearted
And says:
“What gall you have!
How dare you quote the Scriptures
And take communion?
You hate my instructions.
You treat me words to you
As noise
To be tuned out,
Ignored.
You see a thief
And join him
Like it’s a game.
You see sex being twisted
And broken
And join in,
Twisting and breaking.
You use your words to destroy,
Speaking deathly bullets.
You slander your sister,
Berate your brother.
“When I watched
In horror,
You took my silence
As approval.
You considered me an accomplice.
So, hear me speak now
And listen to my accusations.
“You have lived as if
God doesn’t exist.
But listen up now
Or I will tear you to pieces
With no one to stop me.
The attention of grateful hearts
Is beautiful to me.
I take care of those
Who take care of others.”