Psalms 51; Psalms 52; Psalms 53; Romans 2

1 God, show me your favor in keeping with your faithful love. Because your love is so tender and kind, wipe out my lawless acts.

2 Wash away all of the evil things I've done. Make me pure from my sin.

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 want truth to be in my heart. You teach me wisdom deep down inside me.

7 Make me pure by sprinkling me with hyssop plant. 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 of my sins. Wipe away all of 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. That will keep me 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. 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. Build up the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then holy sacrifices will be offered in the right way. Whole burnt offerings will bring delight to you. And bulls will be offered on your altar.

1 You think you are such a big, strong man! Why do you brag about the evil things you've done? You are a dishonor to God all the time.

2 You plan ways to destroy others. Your tongue is like a blade that has a sharp edge. You are always telling lies.

3 You love evil instead of good. You would rather lie than tell the truth. "Selah"

4 You love to harm others with your words, you liar!

5 So God will destroy you forever. He will grab hold of you and throw you out of your tent. He will remove you from this life. "Selah"

6 Those who do what is right will see it and learn a lesson from it. They will laugh at you and say,

7 "Just look at this fellow! He didn't depend on God for his safety. He put his trust in all his wealth. He grew strong by destroying others!"

8 But I am like a healthy olive tree. My roots are deep in the house of God. I trust in your faithful love for ever and ever.

9 I will praise you forever for what you have done. I will put my hope in you because you are good. I will praise you when I'm with your faithful people.

1 Foolish people say in their hearts, "There is no God." They do all kinds of horrible and evil things. No one does anything good.

2 God looks down from heaven on all people. He wants to see if there are any who understand. He wants to see if there are any who trust in God.

3 All of them have turned away. They have all become evil. No one does anything good, no one at all.

4 Won't those who do evil ever learn? They eat up my people as if they were eating bread. They don't call out to God for help.

5 Just look at them! They are filled with terror even when there is nothing to be afraid of! People of Israel, God will scatter the bones of those who attack you. You will put them to shame, because God hates them.

6 How I pray that the One who saves Israel will come out of Zion! God will bless his people with great success again. So let the people of Jacob be filled with joy! Let Israel be glad!

1 If you judge someone else, you have no excuse for it. When you judge another person, you are judging yourself. You do the same things you blame others for doing.

2 We know that when God judges those who do evil things, he judges fairly.

3 Though you are only a human being, you judge others. But you yourself do the same things. So how do you think you will escape when God judges you?

4 Do you make fun of God's great kindness and favor? Do you make fun of God when he is patient with you? Don't you realize that God's kindness is meant to turn you away from your sins?

5 But you are stubborn. In your heart you are not sorry for your sins. You are storing up anger against yourself. The day of God's anger is coming. Then his way of judging fairly will be shown.

6 God "will give to each person in keeping with what he has done."(Psalm 62:12; %"Proverbs 24:12)

7 God will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good. They want glory, honor, and life that never ends.

8 But there are others who only look out for themselves. They don't accept the truth. They go down an evil path. God will pour out his burning anger on them.

9 There will be trouble and suffering for everyone who does evil. That is meant first for the Jews. It is also meant for the non-Jews.

10 But there will be glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good. That is meant first for the Jews. It is also meant for the non-Jews.

11 God treats everyone the same.

12 Some people do not know God's law when they sin. They will not be judged by the law when they die. Others do know God's law when they sin. They will be judged by the law.

13 Hearing the law does not make a person right with God. People are considered to be right with God only when they obey the law.

14 Those who aren't Jews do not have the law. Sometimes they just naturally do what the law requires. They are a law for themselves. This is true even though they don't have the law.

15 They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts. The way their minds judge them gives witness to that fact. Sometimes their thoughts find them guilty. At other times their thoughts find them not guilty.

16 People will be judged on the day God appoints Jesus Christ to judge their secret thoughts. That's part of my good news.

17 Suppose you call yourself a Jew. You trust in the law. You brag that you are close to God.

18 You know what God wants. You agree with what is best because the law teaches you.

19 You are sure you can lead people who are blind. You are sure you are a light for those who are in the dark.

20 You claim to be able to teach foolish people. You can even teach babies. You think that in the law you have all knowledge and truth.

21 You teach others. But you don't teach yourself! You preach against stealing. But you steal!

22 You say that people should not commit adultery. But you commit adultery! You hate statues of gods. But you rob temples!

23 You brag about the law. But when you break it, you rob God of his honor!

24 It is written, "Those who aren't Jews say evil things against God's name because of you."(Isaiah 52:5; Ezekiel 36:22)

25 Circumcision has value if you obey the law. But if you break the law, it is just as if you hadn't been circumcised.

26 Sometimes those who aren't circumcised do what the law requires. Won't God accept them as if they had been circumcised?

27 Many are not circumcised physically, but they obey the law. They will prove that you are guilty. You are breaking the law, even though you have the written law and are circumcised.

28 A man is not a Jew if he is a Jew only on the outside. And circumcision is more than just something done to the outside of a man's body.

29 No, a man is a Jew only if he is a Jew on the inside. And true circumcision means that the heart has been circumcised. It is done by the Holy Spirit. It is more than just obeying the written Law. Then a man's praise will not come from others. It will come from God.