Psalm 51:15-17

New King James Version

¹⁵O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
¹⁶For ^(A)You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
¹⁷^(B)The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.

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Psalm 51:15-17

Amplified Bible

¹⁵
O Lord, open my lips,
That my mouth may declare Your praise.
¹⁶
For You do not delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You are not pleased with burnt offering.^(A)
¹⁷
My [only] sacrifice [acceptable] to God is a broken spirit;
A broken and contrite heart [broken with sorrow for sin, thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.

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Psalm 51:15-17

Contemporary English Version

¹⁵Help me to speak,
    and I will praise you, Lord.
¹⁶Offerings and sacrifices
    are not what you want.
¹⁷The way to please you
is to be truly sorry
    deep in our hearts.
This is the kind of sacrifice
    you won't refuse.

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Psalm 51:15-17

The Message

^7-15Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean,
    scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life.
Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,
    set these once-broken bones to dancing.
Don’t look too close for blemishes,
    give me a clean bill of health.
God, make a fresh start in me,
    shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
Don’t throw me out with the trash,
    or fail to breathe holiness in me.
Bring me back from gray exile,
    put a fresh wind in my sails!
Give me a job teaching rebels your ways
    so the lost can find their way home.
Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God,
    and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.
Unbutton my lips, dear God;
    I’ll let loose with your praise.

^16-17Going through the motions doesn’t please you,
    a flawless performance is nothing to you.
I learned God-worship
    when my pride was shattered.
Heart-shattered lives ready for love
    don’t for a moment escape God’s notice.

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