Psalms 49

• 1. Listen to this, all you people! Pay attention, everyone in the world!
• 2. High and low, rich and poor--listen!
• 3. For my words are wise, and my thoughts are filled with insight.
• 4. I listen carefully to many proverbs and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp.
• 5. There is no need to fear when times of trouble come, when enemies are surrounding me.
• 6. They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches.
• 7. Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God.
• 8. Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enough
• 9. to live forever and never see the grave.
• 10. Those who are wise must finally die, just like the foolish and senseless, leaving all their wealth behind.
• 11. The grave is their eternal home, where they will stay forever. They may name their estates after themselves, but they leave their wealth to others.
• 12. They will not last long despite their riches--they will die like the animals.
• 13. This is the fate of fools, though they will be remembered as being so wise.
• 14. Like sheep, they are led to the grave, where death will be their shepherd. In the morning the godly will rule over them. Their bodies will rot in the grave, far from their grand estates.
• 15. But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of death.
• 16. So don't be dismayed when the wicked grow rich, and their homes become ever more splendid.
• 17. For when they die, they carry nothing with them. Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.
• 18. In this life they consider themselves fortunate, and the world loudly applauds their success.
• 19. But they will die like all others before them and never again see the light of day.
• 20. People who boast of their wealth don't understand that they will die like the animals.

Psalms 50

• 1. The mighty God, the LORD, has spoken; he has summoned all humanity from east to west!
• 2. From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines in glorious radiance.
• 3. Our God approaches with the noise of thunder. Fire devours everything in his way, and a great storm rages around him.
• 4. Heaven and earth will be his witnesses as he judges 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.
• 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 bring to my altar.
• 9. But I want no more bulls from your barns; I want no more goats from your pens.
• 10. For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.
• 11. Every bird of the mountains and all the animals of the field belong to me.
• 12. If I were hungry, I would not mention it to you, for all the world is mine and everything in it.
• 13. I don't need the bulls you sacrifice; I don't need the blood of goats.
• 14. What I want instead is your true thanks to God; I want you to fulfill your vows to the Most High.
• 15. Trust me in your times of trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory."
• 16. But God says to the wicked: "Recite my laws no longer, and don't pretend that you obey me.
• 17. For you refuse my discipline and treat my laws like trash.
• 18. When you see a thief, you help him, and you spend your time with adulterers.
• 19. Your mouths are filled with wickedness, and your tongues are full of lies.
• 20. You sit around and slander a 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 ignore 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."

Psalms 51

• 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 shameful deeds--they haunt 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.
• 5. For I was born a sinner--yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
• 6. But you desire honesty from the heart, so you can teach me to be wise in my inmost being.
• 7. Purify me from my sins, 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 right spirit within me.
• 11. Do not banish me from your presence, and don't take your Holy Spirit from me.
• 12. Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.
• 13. Then I will teach your ways to sinners, 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 I may praise you.
• 16. You would not be pleased with sacrifices, or I would bring them. If I brought you a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
• 17. The sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. A broken and repentant heart, O God, you will not despise.
• 18. Look with favor on Zion and help her; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
• 19. Then you will be pleased with worthy sacrifices and with our whole burnt offerings; and bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.

New Living Translation: 183 of 324 days.