Psalms 51.
Have mercy on me,
O God,
Because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
Blot out the stain of my sins.
Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sins.
For I recognize my rebellion.
It haunts me day and night.
Against you,
And you alone have I sinned.
I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
And your judgment against me is just.
For I was born a sinner,
Yes,
From the moment my mother conceived me.
But you desire honesty from the womb,
Teaching me wisdom even there.
Purify me from my sins,
And I will be clean.
Wash me,
And I will be whiter than snow.
Oh,
Give me back my joy again.
You have broken me.
Now let me rejoice.
Don't keep looking at my sins.
Remove the stain of my guilt.
Create in me a clean heart,
O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.
Do not banish me from your presence,
And don't take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and make me willing to obey you.
Then I will teach your ways to rebels and they will return to you.
Forgive me for shedding blood,
O God who saves.
Then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.
Unseal my lips,
O Lord,
That my mouth may praise you.
You do not desire a sacrifice,
Or I would offer one.
You do not want a burnt offering.
The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart,
O God.
Look with favour on Zion and help her.
Rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit,
With burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings.
Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.
Psalms 130 From the depths of despair,
O Lord,
I call for your help.
Hear my cry,
O Lord.
Pay attention to my prayer.
Lord,
If you kept a record of our sins,
Who,
O Lord,
Could ever survive?
But you offer forgiveness,
That we might learn to fear you.
I am counting on the Lord.
Yes,
I am counting on him.
I have put my hope in his word.
I long for the Lord more than centuries long for the dawn.
Yes,
More than centuries long for the dawn.
O Israel,
Hope in the Lord.
For with the Lord there is unfailing love.
His redemption overflows.
He himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin.
Psalms 38.
O Lord,
Don't rebuke me in your anger.
Or discipline me in your rage.
Your arrows have struck deep and your blows are crushing me.
Because of your anger,
My whole body is sick.
My health is broken because of my sins.
My guilt overwhelms me.
It is a burden too heavy to bear.
My wounds fester and stink because of my foolish sins.
I am bent over and racked with pain.
All day long I walk around filled with grief.
A raging fever burns within me and my health is broken.
I am exhausted and completely crushed.
My groans come from an anguished heart.
You know what I long for,
Lord.
You hear my every sigh.
My heart beats wildly,
My strength fails and I am going blind.
My loved ones and friends stay away,
Fearing my disease.
Even my own family stands at a distance.
Meanwhile,
My enemies lay traps to kill me.
Those who wish me harm make plans to ruin me.
All day long they plan their treachery.
But I am deaf to all their threats.
I am silent before them as one who cannot speak.
I choose to hear nothing and I make no reply.
For I am waiting for you,
O Lord.
You must answer for me,
O Lord my God.
I pray.
Don't let my enemies gloat over me or rejoice at my downfall.
I am on the verge of collapse,
Facing constant pain.
But I confess my sins.
I am deeply sorry for what I have done.
I have many aggressive enemies.
They hate me without reason.
They repay me evil for good and oppose me for pursuance.
Good.
Do not abandon me,
O Lord.
Do not stand at a distance,
My God.
Come quickly to help me,
O Lord my Saviour.
Psalms 32.
Oh,
What joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven,
Whose sin is put out of sight.
Yes,
What joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,
Whose lives are lived in complete honesty.
When I refused to confess my sin,
My body wasted away,
And I groaned all day long,
Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.
Finally,
I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself,
I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.
And you forgave me.
All my guilt is gone.
Therefore,
Let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,
That they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
For you are my hiding place.
You protect me from trouble.
You surround me with songs of victory.
The Lord says.
I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you.
Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.
Many sorrows come to the wicked,
But unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
So rejoice in the Lord and be glad,
All you who obey Him.
Shout for joy,
All you whose hearts are pure.
