TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 50

1A psalm of Asaf. Hashem, Hashem spoke and summoned the world from east to west.

אמִזְמוֹר לְאָסָף אֵל אֱ‍לֹהִים יְהֹוָה דִּבֶּר וַיִּקְרָא־אָרֶץ מִמִּזְרַח־שֶׁמֶשׁ עַד־מְבֹאוֹ׃

2From Tzion, perfect in beauty, Hashem appeared

mi-tzi-YON mikh-lal YO-fee e-lo-HEEM ho-FEE-a

במִצִּיּוֹן מִכְלַל־יֹפִי אֱלֹהִים הוֹפִיעַ׃

 50:2   From Tzion, perfect in beauty

The Sages of the Talmud wonder (Yoma 54b), from where did God fashion the entire world? “Rabbi Eliezer says: The world was created from its center… Rabbi Yehoshua said: The world was created from its sides… Rabbi Yitzchak the Smith said: The Holy One, blessed be He, cast a stone into the ocean, from which the world then was founded… But the Sages said: The world was created from Zion, as it is said: … ‘Out of Tzion, the perfection of the beauty,’ that means from Tzion was the beauty of the world perfected.”

3—let our God come and not fail to act! Devouring fire preceded Him; it stormed around Him fiercely.

גיָבֹא אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְאַל־יֶחֱרַשׁ אֵשׁ־לְפָנָיו תֹּאכֵל וּסְבִיבָיו נִשְׂעֲרָה מְאֹד׃

4He summoned the heavens above, and the earth, for the trial of His people.

דיִקְרָא אֶל־הַשָּׁמַיִם מֵעָל וְאֶל־הָאָרֶץ לָדִין עַמּוֹ׃

5“Bring in My devotees, who made a covenant with Me over sacrifice!”

האִסְפוּ־לִי חֲסִידָי כֹּרְתֵי בְרִיתִי עֲלֵי־זָבַח׃

6Then the heavens proclaimed His righteousness, for He is a Hashem who judges. Selah.

ווַיַּגִּידוּ שָׁמַיִם צִדְקוֹ כִּי־אֱלֹהִים שֹׁפֵט הוּא סֶלָה׃

7“Pay heed, My people, and I will speak, O Yisrael, and I will arraign you. I am Hashem, your God.

זשִׁמְעָה עַמִּי וַאֲדַבֵּרָה יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָעִידָה בָּךְ אֱלֹהִים אֱלֹהֶיךָ אָנֹכִי׃

8I censure you not for your sacrifices, and your burnt offerings, made to Me daily;

חלֹא עַל־זְבָחֶיךָ אוֹכִיחֶךָ וְעוֹלֹתֶיךָ לְנֶגְדִּי תָמִיד׃

9I claim no bull from your estate, no he-goats from your pens.

טלֹא־אֶקַּח מִבֵּיתְךָ פָר מִמִּכְלְאֹתֶיךָ עַתּוּדִים׃

10For Mine is every animal of the forest, the beasts on a thousand mountains.

יכִּי־לִי כָל־חַיְתוֹ־יָעַר בְּהֵמוֹת בְּהַרְרֵי־אָלֶף׃

11I know every bird of the mountains, the creatures of the field are subject to Me.

יאיָדַעְתִּי כָּל־עוֹף הָרִים וְזִיז שָׂדַי עִמָּדִי׃

12Were I hungry, I would not tell you, for Mine is the world and all it holds.

יבאִם־אֶרְעַב לֹא־אֹמַר לָךְ כִּי־לִי תֵבֵל וּמְלֹאָהּ׃

13Do I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of he-goats?

יגהַאוֹכַל בְּשַׂר אַבִּירִים וְדַם עַתּוּדִים אֶשְׁתֶּה׃

14Sacrifice a thank offering to Hashem, and pay your vows to the Most High.

ידזְבַח לֵאלֹהִים תּוֹדָה וְשַׁלֵּם לְעֶלְיוֹן נְדָרֶיךָ׃

15Call upon Me in time of trouble; I will rescue you, and you shall honor Me.”

טווּקְרָאֵנִי בְּיוֹם צָרָה אֲחַלֶּצְךָ וּתְכַבְּדֵנִי׃

16And to the wicked, Hashem said: “Who are you to recite My laws, and mouth the terms of My covenant,

טזוְלָרָשָׁע אָמַר אֱלֹהִים מַה־לְּךָ לְסַפֵּר חֻקָּי וַתִּשָּׂא בְרִיתִי עֲלֵי־פִיךָ׃

17seeing that you spurn My discipline, and brush My words aside?

יזוְאַתָּה שָׂנֵאתָ מוּסָר וַתַּשְׁלֵךְ דְּבָרַי אַחֲרֶיךָ׃

18When you see a thief, you fall in with him, and throw in your lot with adulterers;

יחאִם־רָאִיתָ גַנָּב וַתִּרֶץ עִמּוֹ וְעִם מְנָאֲפִים חֶלְקֶךָ׃

19you devote your mouth to evil, and yoke your tongue to deceit;

יטפִּיךָ שָׁלַחְתָּ בְרָעָה וּלְשׁוֹנְךָ תַּצְמִיד מִרְמָה׃

20you are busy maligning your brother, defaming the son of your mother.

כתֵּשֵׁב בְּאָחִיךָ תְדַבֵּר בְּבֶן־אִמְּךָ תִּתֶּן־דֹּפִי׃

21If I failed to act when you did these things, you would fancy that I was like you; so I censure you and confront you with charges.

כאאֵלֶּה עָשִׂיתָ וְהֶחֱרַשְׁתִּי דִּמִּיתָ הֱיוֹת־אֶהְיֶה כָמוֹךָ אוֹכִיחֲךָ וְאֶעֶרְכָה לְעֵינֶיךָ׃

22Mark this, you who are unmindful of Hashem, lest I tear you apart and no one save you.

כבבִּינוּ־נָא זֹאת שֹׁכְחֵי אֱלוֹהַּ פֶּן־אֶטְרֹף וְאֵין מַצִּיל׃

23He who sacrifices a thank offering honors Me, and to him who improves his way I will show the salvation of Hashem.”

כגזֹבֵחַ תּוֹדָה יְכַבְּדָנְנִי וְשָׂם דֶּרֶךְ אַרְאֶנּוּ בְּיֵשַׁע אֱלֹהִים׃