⁷ “Listen, my people, and I will speak;
    I will testify^(Q) against you, Israel:
    I am God, your God.^(R)
8 I bring no charges^(S) against you concerning your sacrifices
    or concerning your burnt offerings,^(T) which are ever before me.
⁹ I have no need of a bull^(U) from your stall
    or of goats^(V) from your pens,^(W)
10 for every animal of the forest^(X) is mine,
    and the cattle on a thousand hills.^(Y)
11 I know every bird^(Z) in the mountains,
    and the insects in the fields^(AA) are mine.
¹² If I were hungry I would not tell you,
    for the world^(AB) is mine, and all that is in it.^(AC)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?

¹⁴ “Sacrifice thank offerings^(AD) to God,
    fulfill your vows^(AE) to the Most High,^(AF)
15 and call^(AG) on me in the day of trouble;^(AH)
    I will deliver^(AI) you, and you will honor^(AJ) me.”

“What right have you to recite my laws
    or take my covenant^(AK) on your lips?^(AL)
17 You hate^(AM) my instruction
    and cast my words behind^(AN) you.
¹⁸ When you see a thief, you join^(AO) with him;
    you throw in your lot with adulterers.^(AP)
19 You use your mouth for evil
    and harness your tongue to deceit.^(AQ)
20 You sit and testify against your brother^(AR)
    and slander your own mother’s son.
²¹ When you did these things and I kept silent,^(AS)
    you thought I was exactly^[c] like you.
But I now arraign^(AT) you
    and set my accusations^(AU) before you.

²² “Consider this, you who forget God,^(AV)
    or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:^(AW)
23 Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,
    and to the blameless^[d] I will show my salvation.^(AX)”

³ For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is always before me.^(I)
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned^(J)
    and done what is evil in your sight;^(K)
so you are right in your verdict
    and justified when you judge.^(L)
5 Surely I was sinful^(M) at birth,^(N)
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
⁶ Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
    you taught me wisdom^(O) in that secret place.^(P)

⁷ Cleanse^(Q) me with hyssop,^(R) and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.^(S)
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;^(T)
    let the bones^(U) you have crushed rejoice.
⁹ Hide your face from my sins^(V)
    and blot out^(W) all my iniquity.

¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart,^(X) O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.^(Y)
11 Do not cast me^(Z) from your presence^(AA)
    or take your Holy Spirit^(AB) from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation^(AC)
    and grant me a willing spirit,^(AD) to sustain me.^(AE)

¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways,^(AF)
    so that sinners^(AG) will turn back to you.^(AH)
14 Deliver me^(AI) from the guilt of bloodshed,^(AJ) O God,
    you who are God my Savior,^(AK)
    and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.^(AL)
15 Open my lips, Lord,^(AM)
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice,^(AN) or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
¹⁷ My sacrifice,^(AO) O God, is^[b] a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart^(AP)
    you, God, will not despise.

¹⁸ May it please you to prosper Zion,^(AQ)
    to build up the walls of Jerusalem.^(AR)
19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,^(AS)
    in burnt offerings^(AT) offered whole;
    then bulls^(AU) will be offered on your altar.

⁵ Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
    He will snatch you up and pluck^(J) you from your tent;
    he will uproot^(K) you from the land of the living.^(L)
6 The righteous will see and fear;
    they will laugh^(M) at you, saying,
⁷ “Here now is the man
    who did not make God his stronghold^(N)
but trusted in his great wealth^(O)
    and grew strong by destroying others!”

⁸ But I am like an olive tree^(P)
    flourishing in the house of God;
I trust^(Q) in God’s unfailing love
    for ever and ever.
⁹ For what you have done I will always praise you^(R)
    in the presence of your faithful people.^(S)
And I will hope in your name,^(T)
    for your name is good.^(U)