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15 Lord, open my lips,
    and my mouth will proclaim your praise.
16 You don’t want sacrifices.
    If I gave an entirely burned offering,
    you wouldn’t be pleased.
17 A broken spirit is my sacrifice, God.[a]
    You won’t despise a heart, God, that is broken and crushed.
18 Do good things for Zion by your favor.
    Rebuild Jerusalem’s walls.
19 Then you will again want sacrifices of righteousness—
    entirely burned offerings and complete offerings.
        Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 51:17 Correction

15 Open my lips, Lord,(A)
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice,(B) or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice,(C) O God, is[a] a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart(D)
    you, God, will not despise.

18 May it please you to prosper Zion,(E)
    to build up the walls of Jerusalem.(F)
19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,(G)
    in burnt offerings(H) offered whole;
    then bulls(I) will be offered on your altar.

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Footnotes

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

“Come, let’s return to the Lord;
        for it is he who has injured us and will heal us;
        he has struck us down, but he will bind us up.
After two days he will revive us;
        on the third day he will raise us up,
            so that we may live before him.
Let’s know, let’s press on to know the Lord;
        whose appearing is as certain as the dawn;
        who will come to us like the showers,
        like the spring rains that give drink to the earth.”

Infidelity and divine retribution

    Ephraim, what will I do with you?
            Judah, what will I do with you?
    Your love is like a morning cloud,
            like the dew that vanishes quickly.
    Therefore, I have attacked them by the prophets,
            I have killed them by the words of my mouth,
                and my judgment goes forth like a light.
    I desire faithful love and not sacrifice,
            the knowledge of God instead of entirely burned offerings.

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Israel Unrepentant

“Come, let us return(A) to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces(B)
    but he will heal us;(C)
he has injured us
    but he will bind up our wounds.(D)
After two days he will revive us;(E)
    on the third day(F) he will restore(G) us,
    that we may live in his presence.
Let us acknowledge the Lord;
    let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
    he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,(H)
    like the spring rains that water the earth.(I)

“What can I do with you, Ephraim?(J)
    What can I do with you, Judah?
Your love is like the morning mist,
    like the early dew that disappears.(K)
Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets,
    I killed you with the words of my mouth(L)
    then my judgments go forth like the sun.[a](M)
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,(N)
    and acknowledgment(O) of God rather than burnt offerings.(P)

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 6:5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.

The Pharisee and the tax collector

Jesus told this parable to certain people who had convinced themselves that they were righteous and who looked on everyone else with disgust: 10 “Two people went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself with these words, ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like everyone else—crooks, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week. I give a tenth of everything I receive.’ 13 But the tax collector stood at a distance. He wouldn’t even lift his eyes to look toward heaven. Rather, he struck his chest and said, ‘God, show mercy to me, a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this person went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. All who lift themselves up will be brought low, and those who make themselves low will be lifted up.”

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The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

To some who were confident of their own righteousness(A) and looked down on everyone else,(B) Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray,(C) one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself(D) 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(E) twice a week and give a tenth(F) 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(G) and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’(H)

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.”(I)

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