¹ The Lord, the Mighty One, is God,
    and he has spoken;
he has summoned all humanity
    from where the sun rises to where it sets.
² From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty,
    God shines in glorious radiance.
³ Our God approaches,
    and he is not silent.
Fire devours everything in his way,
    and a great storm rages around him.
⁴ He calls on the heavens above and earth below
    to witness the judgment of his people.
⁵ “Bring my faithful people to me—
    those who made a covenant with me by giving sacrifices.”
⁶ Then let the heavens proclaim his justice,
    for God himself will be the judge. Interlude

⁷ “O my people, listen as I speak.
    Here are my charges against you, O Israel:
    I am God, your God!
⁸ I have no complaint about your sacrifices
    or the burnt offerings you constantly offer.
⁹ But I do not need the bulls from your barns
    or the goats from your pens.
¹⁰ For all the animals of the forest are mine,
    and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.
¹¹ I know every bird on the mountains,
    and all the animals of the field are mine.
¹² If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
    for all the world is mine and everything in it.
¹³ Do I eat the meat of bulls?
    Do I drink the blood of goats?
¹⁴ Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God,
    and keep the vows you made to the Most High.
¹⁵ Then call on me when you are in trouble,
    and I will rescue you,
    and you will give me glory.”

¹⁶ But God says to the wicked:
“Why bother reciting my decrees
    and pretending to obey my covenant?
¹⁷ For you refuse my discipline
    and treat my words like trash.
¹⁸ When you see thieves, you approve of them,
    and you spend your time with adulterers.
¹⁹ Your mouth is filled with wickedness,
    and your tongue is full of lies.
²⁰ You sit around and slander your brother—
    your own mother’s son.
²¹ While you did all this, I remained silent,
    and you thought I didn’t care.
But now I will rebuke you,
    listing all my charges against you.
²² Repent, all of you who forget me,
    or I will tear you apart,
    and no one will help you.
²³ But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.
    If you keep to my path,
    I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”

¹ Have mercy on me, O God,
    because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
    blot out the stain of my sins.
² Wash me clean from my guilt.
    Purify me from my sin.
³ For I recognize my rebellion;
    it haunts me day and night.
⁴ 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.^[a]
5 For I was born a sinner—
    yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
⁶ But you desire honesty from the womb,^[b]
    teaching me wisdom even there.

⁷ Purify me from my sins,^[c] and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
⁸ Oh, give me back my joy again;
    you have broken me—
    now let me rejoice.
⁹ Don’t keep looking at my sins.
    Remove the stain of my guilt.
¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God.
    Renew a loyal spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not banish me from your presence,
    and don’t take your Holy Spirit^[d] from me.

¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and make me willing to obey you.
¹³ Then I will teach your ways to rebels,
    and they will return to you.
¹⁴ Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves;
    then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.
¹⁵ Unseal my lips, O Lord,
    that my mouth may praise you.

¹⁶ You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.
    You do not want a burnt offering.
¹⁷ The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
    You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
¹⁸ Look with favor on Zion and help her;
    rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹ 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.