Psalm 32

Of David. A maskil.[a]

Blessed is the one
    whose transgressions are forgiven,
    whose sins are covered.(A)
Blessed is the one
    whose sin the Lord does not count against them(B)
    and in whose spirit is no deceit.(C)

When I kept silent,(D)
    my bones wasted away(E)
    through my groaning(F) all day long.
For day and night
    your hand was heavy(G) on me;
my strength was sapped(H)
    as in the heat of summer.[b]

Then I acknowledged my sin to you
    and did not cover up my iniquity.(I)
I said, “I will confess(J)
    my transgressions(K) to the Lord.”
And you forgave
    the guilt of my sin.(L)

Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
    while you may be found;(M)
surely the rising(N) of the mighty waters(O)
    will not reach them.(P)
You are my hiding place;(Q)
    you will protect me from trouble(R)
    and surround me with songs of deliverance.(S)

I will instruct(T) you and teach you(U) in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my loving eye on(V) you.
Do not be like the horse or the mule,
    which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle(W)
    or they will not come to you.
10 Many are the woes of the wicked,(X)
    but the Lord’s unfailing love
    surrounds the one who trusts(Y) in him.

11 Rejoice in the Lord(Z) and be glad, you righteous;
    sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 32:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  2. Psalm 32:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 7.

32 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.

For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.

Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.

10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.

11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt,(A) have become corrupt.(B) They have been quick to turn away(C) from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol(D) cast in the shape of a calf.(E) They have bowed down to it and sacrificed(F) to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’(G)

“I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked(H) people. 10 Now leave me alone(I) so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy(J) them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”(K)

11 But Moses sought the favor(L) of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?(M) 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’?(N) Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster(O) on your people. 13 Remember(P) your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self:(Q) ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars(R) in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land(S) I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” 14 Then the Lord relented(T) and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

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And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:

They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:

10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

11 And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?

12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.

13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.

14 And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.

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The Parable of the Lost Sheep(A)

15 Now the tax collectors(B) and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”(C)

Then Jesus told them this parable:(D) “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?(E) 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.’(F) 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.(G)

The Parable of the Lost Coin

“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’(H) 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”(I)

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 15:8 Greek ten drachmas, each worth about a day’s wages

15 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.

And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

And he spake this parable unto them, saying,

What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?

And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.

10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

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