Psalm 51:17
ESV
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
NIV
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.
NASB
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, God, You will not despise.
CSB
The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God.
NLT
The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
KJV
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
NKJV
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.
What does Psalm 51:17 mean?
David could have offered God a thousand sacrifices, but he knew the sacrifices God looks for are a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart. David offered God a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart when he implored God to forgive his sin. Isaiah 57:15 reinforces David's words by quoting God as saying, "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite."Jesus recounted the story of a tax collector and a Pharisee to illustrate this truth (Luke 18:9–14). The two men entered the temple to pray. The Pharisee's heart was proud. He filled his prayer with boasting about his religious works (Luke 18:11–12), whereas the tax collector was too humble and contrite even to lift his eyes toward heaven. He simply beat his breast and said, "God be merciful to me, a sinner" (Luke 18:13). Jesus stated that the tax collector went home justified, rather than the haughty Pharisee. He concluded: "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 18:14).
