³ I know the lawless acts I’ve committed.
    I can’t forget my sin.
⁴ You are the one I’ve really sinned against.
    I’ve done what is evil in your sight.
So you are right when you sentence me.
    You are fair when you judge me.
⁵ I know I’ve been a sinner ever since I was born.
    I’ve been a sinner ever since my mother became pregnant with me.
⁶ I know that you wanted faithfulness even when I was in my mother’s body.
    You taught me wisdom in that secret place.

⁷ Sprinkle me with hyssop, then I will be clean.
    Wash me, then I will be whiter than snow.
⁸ Let me hear you say, “Your sins are forgiven.”
    That will bring me joy and gladness.
    Let the body you have broken be glad.
⁹ Take away all my sins.
    Wipe away all the evil things I’ve done.

¹⁰ God, create a pure heart in me.
    Give me a new spirit that is faithful to you.
¹¹ Don’t send me away from you.
    Don’t take your Holy Spirit away from me.
¹² Give me back the joy that comes from being saved by you.
    Give me a spirit that obeys you so that I will keep going.

¹³ Then I will teach your ways to those who commit lawless acts.
    And sinners will turn back to you.
¹⁴ You are the God who saves me.
    I have committed murder.
    God, take away my guilt.
Then my tongue will sing about how right you are
    no matter what you do.
¹⁵ Lord, open my lips so that I can speak.
    Then my mouth will praise you.
¹⁶ You don’t take delight in sacrifice.
    If you did, I would bring it.
    You don’t take pleasure in burnt offerings.
¹⁷ The greatest sacrifice you want is a broken spirit.
    God, you will gladly accept a heart
    that is broken because of sadness over sin.

¹⁸ May you be pleased to give Zion success.
    May it please you to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹ Then you will delight in the sacrifices of those who do what is right.
    Whole burnt offerings will bring delight to you.
    And bulls will be offered on your altar.

⁴ Give thanks as you enter the gates of his temple.
    Give praise as you enter its courtyards.
    Give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ The Lord is good. His faithful love continues forever.
    It will last for all time to come.

⁶ The Lord does what is right and fair
    for all who are treated badly.

⁷ He told Moses all about his plans.
    He let the people of Israel see his mighty acts.
⁸ The Lord is tender and kind. He is gracious.
    He is slow to get angry. He is full of love.
⁹ He won’t keep bringing charges against us.
    He won’t stay angry with us forever.
¹⁰ He doesn’t punish us for our sins as much as we should be punished.
    He doesn’t pay us back in keeping with the evil things we’ve done.
¹¹ He loves those who have respect for him.
    His love is as high as the heavens are above the earth.
¹² He has removed our sins from us.
    He has removed them as far as the east is from the west.
¹³ A father is tender and kind to his children.
    In the same way, the Lord is tender and kind
    to those who have respect for him.
¹⁴ He knows what we are made of.
    He remembers that we are dust.
¹⁵ The life of human beings is like grass.
    People grow like the flowers in the field.
¹⁶ When the wind blows on them, they are gone.
    No one can tell that they had ever been there.
¹⁷ But the Lord’s love
    for those who have respect for him
    lasts for ever and ever.
Their children’s children will know
    that he always does what is right.
¹⁸ He always loves those who keep his covenant.
    He always does what is right for those who remember to obey his commands.

¹⁹ The Lord has set up his throne in heaven.
    His kingdom rules over all.

²⁰ Praise the Lord, you angels of his.
    Praise him, you mighty ones
    who carry out his orders and obey his word.
²¹ Praise the Lord, all you angels in heaven.
    Praise him, all you who serve him and do what he wants.
²² Let everything the Lord has made praise him
    everywhere in his kingdom.

I will praise the Lord.

⁵ You are all around me, behind me and in front of me.
    You hold me safe in your hand.
⁶ I’m amazed at how well you know me.
    It’s more than I can understand.

⁷ How can I get away from your Spirit?
    Where can I go to escape from you?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there.
    If I lie down in the deepest parts of the earth, you are also there.
⁹ Suppose I were to rise with the sun in the east.
    Suppose I travel to the west where it sinks into the ocean.
¹⁰ Your hand would always be there to guide me.
    Your right hand would still be holding me close.

¹¹ Suppose I were to say, “I’m sure the darkness will hide me.
    The light around me will become as dark as night.”
¹² Even that darkness would not be dark to you.
    The night would shine like the day,
    because darkness is like light to you.

¹³ You created the deepest parts of my being.
    You put me together inside my mother’s body.
¹⁴ How you made me is amazing and wonderful.
    I praise you for that.
What you have done is wonderful.
    I know that very well.
¹⁵ None of my bones was hidden from you
    when you made me inside my mother’s body.
    That place was as dark as the deepest parts of the earth.
When you were putting me together there,
¹⁶     your eyes saw my body even before it was formed.
You planned how many days I would live.
    You wrote down the number of them in your book
    before I had lived through even one of them.

¹⁷ God, your thoughts about me are priceless.
    No one can possibly add them all up.
¹⁸ If I could count them,
    they would be more than the grains of sand.
If I were to fall asleep counting and then wake up,
    you would still be there with me.

¹⁹ God, I wish you would kill the people who are evil!
    I wish those murderers would get away from me!
²⁰ They are your enemies. They misuse your name.
    They misuse it for their own evil purposes.
²¹ Lord, I really hate those who hate you!
    I really hate those who rise up against you!
²² I have nothing but hatred for them.
    I consider them to be my enemies.

²³ God, see what is in my heart.
    Know what is there.
Test me.
    Know what I’m thinking.
²⁴ See if there’s anything in my life you don’t like.
    Help me live in the way that is always right.