321 Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be - you get a fresh start, your slate's wiped clean. 2 Count yourself lucky - God holds nothing against you and you're holding nothing back from him. 3 When I kept it all inside, my bones turned to powder, my words became daylong groans. 4 The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up. 5 Then I let it all out; I said, "I'll make a clean breast of my failures to God." Suddenly the pressure was gone - my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared. 6 These things add up. Every one of us needs to pray; when all hell breaks loose and the dam bursts we'll be on high ground, untouched.
7 God's my island hideaway, keeps danger far from the shore, throws garlands of hosannas around my neck. 8 Let me give you some good advice; I'm looking you in the eye and giving it to you straight: 9 "Don't be ornery like a horse or mule that needs bit and bridle to stay on track." 10 God-defiers are always in trouble; God-affirmers find themselves loved every time they turn around. 11 Celebrate God. Sing together - everyone! All you honest hearts, raise the roof!
511 Generous in love - God, give grace! Huge in mercy - wipe out my bad record. 2 Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry. 3 I know how bad I've been; my sins are staring me down. 4 You're the One I've violated, and you've seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil. You have all the facts before you; whatever you decide about me is fair. 5 I've been out of step with you for a long time, in the wrong since before I was born. 6 What you're after is truth from the inside out. Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.
7 Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean, scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life. 8 Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. 9 Don't look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health. 10 God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. 11 Don't throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. 12 Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails! 13 Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home.
14 Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I'll sing anthems to your life-giving ways. 15 Unbutton my lips, dear God; I'll let loose with your praise. 16 Going through the motions doesn't please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. 17 I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don't for a moment escape God's notice. 18 Make Zion the place you delight in, repair Jerusalem's broken-down walls. 19 Then you'll get real worship from us, acts of worship small and large, Including all the bulls they can heave onto your altar!
861 Bend an ear, God; answer me. I'm one miserable wretch! 2 Keep me safe - haven't I lived a good life? Help your servant - I'm depending on you! 3 You're my God; have mercy on me. I count on you from morning to night. 4 Give your servant a happy life; I put myself in your hands! 5 You're well-known as good and forgiving, bighearted to all who ask for help. 6 Pay attention, God, to my prayer; bend down and listen to my cry for help. 7 Every time I'm in trouble I call on you, confident that you'll answer.
8 There's no one quite like you among the gods, O Lord, and nothing to compare with your works. 9 All the nations you made are on their way, ready to give honor to you, O Lord, Ready to put your beauty on display, 10 parading your greatness, And the great things you do - God, you're the one, there's no one but you! 11 Train me, God, to walk straight; then I'll follow your true path. Put me together, one heart and mind; then, undivided, I'll worship in joyful fear. 12 From the bottom of my heart I thank you, dear Lord; I've never kept secret what you're up to. 13 You've always been great toward me - what love! You snatched me from the brink of disaster! 14 God, these bullies have reared their heads! A gang of thugs is after me - and they don't care a thing about you. 15 But you, O God, are both tender and kind, not easily angered, immense in love, and you never, never quit. 16 So look me in the eye and show kindness, give your servant the strength to go on, save your dear, dear child! 17 Make a show of how much you love me so the bullies who hate me will stand there slack-jawed, As you, God, gently and powerfully put me back on my feet.
1221 When they said, "Let's go to the house of God," my heart leaped for joy. 2 And now we're here, O Jerusalem, inside Jerusalem's walls! 3 Jerusalem, well-built city, built as a place for worship! 4 The city to which the tribes ascend, all God's tribes go up to worship, To give thanks to the name of God - this is what it means to be Israel. 5 Thrones for righteous judgment are set there, famous David-thrones.
6 Pray for Jerusalem's peace! Prosperity to all you Jerusalem-lovers! 7 Friendly insiders, get along! Hostile outsiders, keep your distance! 8 For the sake of my family and friends, I say it again: live in peace! 9 For the sake of the house of our God, God, I'll do my very best for you.
