17 My sacrifice,(A) O God, is[a] a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart(B)
    you, God, will not despise.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 51:17 Or The sacrifices of God are

18 The Lord is close(A) to the brokenhearted(B)
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

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Has not my hand made all these things,(A)
    and so they came into being?”
declares the Lord.

“These are the ones I look on with favor:
    those who are humble and contrite in spirit,(B)
    and who tremble at my word.(C)

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10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”(A)

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“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.(A)

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21 “I hate,(A) I despise your religious festivals;(B)
    your assemblies(C) are a stench to me.

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12 In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled(A) himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. 13 And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.

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22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings(A)
    and tell of his works(B) with songs of joy.(C)

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16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others,(A) for with such sacrifices(B) God is pleased.

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33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”(A)

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He heals the brokenhearted(A)
    and binds up their wounds.(B)

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15 For this is what the high and exalted(A) One says—
    he who lives forever,(B) whose name is holy:
“I live in a high(C) and holy place,
    but also with the one who is contrite(D) and lowly in spirit,(E)
to revive the spirit of the lowly
    and to revive the heart of the contrite.(F)

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17 He will respond to the prayer(A) of the destitute;
    he will not despise their plea.

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24 For he has not despised(A) or scorned
    the suffering of the afflicted one;(B)
he has not hidden his face(C) from him
    but has listened to his cry for help.(D)

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19 Because your heart was responsive and you humbled(A) yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse[a](B) and be laid waste(C)—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 22:19 That is, their names would be used in cursing (see Jer. 29:22); or, others would see that they are cursed.

you also, like living stones, are being built(A) into a spiritual house[a](B) to be a holy priesthood,(C) offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 2:5 Or into a temple of the Spirit

11 The Pharisee stood by himself(A) and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast(B) twice a week and give a tenth(C) of all I get.’

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast(D) and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’(E)

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”(F)

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The Year of the Lord’s Favor

61 The Spirit(A) of the Sovereign Lord(B) is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed(C) me
    to proclaim good news(D) to the poor.(E)
He has sent me to bind up(F) the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom(G) for the captives(H)
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor(I)
    and the day of vengeance(J) of our God,
to comfort(K) all who mourn,(L)
    and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown(M) of beauty
    instead of ashes,(N)
the oil(O) of joy
    instead of mourning,(P)
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting(Q) of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.(R)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 61:1 Hebrew; Septuagint the blind

18 I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus(A) the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant(B) offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.

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A Living Sacrifice

12 Therefore, I urge you,(A) brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,(B) holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

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21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.(A) I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe(B) and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger(C) and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again;(D) he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.(E)

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

28 “The older brother became angry(F) and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property(G) with prostitutes(H) comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”(I)

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But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”(A)

Then Jesus told them this parable:(B) “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?(C) And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’(D) I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.(E)

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39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet,(A) he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[a] and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet,(B) but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss,(C) but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head,(D) but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”(E)

49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you;(F) go in peace.”(G)

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 7:41 A denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer (see Matt. 20:2).

Slaughter(A) the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children,(B) but do not touch anyone who has the mark.(C) Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the old men(D) who were in front of the temple.(E)

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Now the glory(A) of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim,(B) where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem(C) and put a mark(D) on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament(E) over all the detestable things that are done in it.(F)

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