ISV(i)
1 A song of Asaph.
The Acceptable Sacrifice God, the LORD, has spoken. He has summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting place.
2 From Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shined forth.
3 Our God has appeared and he has not been silent; a devouring fire blazed before him, and a mighty storm swirled around him.
4 He summoned the heavens above and the earth below, to sit in judgment on his people.
5 “Assemble before me, my saints, who have entered into my covenant by sacrifice.”
6 The heavens revealed his justice, for God is himself the judge. Interlude
7 “Listen, my people, for I am making a pronouncement: Israel, I, God, your God, am testifying against you.
8 I do not rebuke you because of your sacrifices; indeed, your burnt offerings are continuously before me.
9 I will no longer accept a sacrificial bull from your household; nor goats from your pens.
10 Indeed, every animal of the forest is mine, even the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds in the mountains; indeed, everything that moves in the field is mine.
12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is mine along with everything in it.
13 Why should I eat the flesh of oxen or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer to God a thanksgiving praise; pay your vows to the Most High.
15 Call on me in the day of distress; I will deliver you, and you will glorify me.”
16 As for the wicked, God says, “How dare you recite my statutes or speak about my covenant with your lips!
17 You hate instruction and toss my words behind you.
18 When you see a thief, you befriend him, and you keep company with adulterers.
19 You give your mouth free reign for evil, and your tongue devises deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother’s son.
21 These things you did, and I kept silent, because you assumed that I was like you. But now I am going to rebuke you, and I will set forth my case before your very own eyes.”
22 Consider this, you who have forgotten God— Otherwise, I will tear you in pieces and there will be no deliverer:
23 Whoever offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies me, and I will reveal the salvation of God to whomever continues in my way.”
51 1To the Director: A Davidic Psalm. When the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
A Prayer for Cleansing and Pardon Have mercy, God, according to your gracious love, according to your unlimited compassion, erase my transgressions.
2 Wash me from my iniquity, cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgression; my sin remains continuously before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned, and done what was evil in your sight. As a result, you are just in your pronouncement and clear in your judgment.
5 Indeed, in iniquity I was brought forth; in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Indeed, you are pleased with truth in the inner person, and you will teach me wisdom in my innermost parts.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me know joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your countenance from my sins and erase the record of my iniquities.
10 God, create a pure heart in me, and renew a right attitude within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence; do not take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and let a willing attitude control me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors about your ways, and sinners will turn to you.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of shedding blood, God, God of my salvation. Then my tongue will sing about your righteousness.
15 Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 Indeed, you do not delight in sacrifices, or I would give them, nor do you desire burnt offerings.
17 True sacrifice to God is a broken spirit. A broken and chastened heart, God, you will not despise.
18 Show favor to Zion in your good pleasure; and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then you will be pleased with right sacrifices, with burnt offerings, and with whole burnt offerings. Then they will offer bulls on your altar.
52 1To the Director: A Davidic instruction about Doeg, the Edomite, when he went to Saul and told him, “David went to the house of Abimelech.”
A Rebuke to the Deceitful Why do you make evil the foundation of your boasting, mighty one? God’s gracious love never ceases.
2 Your tongue, like a sharp razor, devises wicked things and crafts treachery.
3 You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking uprightly. Interlude
4 You love all words that destroy, you deceitful tongue!
5 But God will tear you down forever; he will take you away, even snatching you out of your tent! He will uproot you from the land of the living. Interlude
The Acceptable Sacrifice
51 1
A Prayer for Cleansing and Pardon
52 1
A Rebuke to the Deceitful