KJV ORIGINAL
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
The sacrifice God wants is a broken spirit—a heart that is crushed and truly sorry. O God, you will never reject a heart like that.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
God values a humble, repentant heart more than any religious ritual or offering.
📚 Historical Context
This verse comes from David's psalm of repentance after the prophet Nathan confronted him about his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband Uriah. In ancient Israel, people typically offered animal sacrifices at the temple to seek God's forgiveness, but David realizes that God desires genuine inner repentance over external religious acts.
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