The Lord deserves praise, for he has heard my plea for mercy!

O Lord, hear my prayer! Pay attention to my plea for mercy!

A poor person makes supplications, but a rich man answers harshly.

Will it make numerous supplications to you, will it speak to you with tender words?

I love the Lord because he heard my plea for mercy,

O Lord, listen to me! Pay attention to my plea for mercy!

Hear my plea for mercy when I cry out to you for help, when I lift my hands toward your holy temple!

I say to the Lord, “You are my God.” O Lord, pay attention to my plea for mercy!

A psalm of David. O Lord, hear my prayer! Pay attention to my plea for help! Because of your faithfulness and justice, answer me!

So I turned my attention to the Lord God to implore him by prayer and requests, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

I jumped to conclusions and said, “I am cut off from your presence!” But you heard my plea for mercy when I cried out to you for help.

“A noise is heard on the hilltops. It is the sound of the people of Israel crying and pleading to their gods. Indeed they have followed sinful ways; they have forgotten to be true to the Lord their God.

“So now, our God, accept the prayer and requests of your servant, and show favor to your devastated sanctuary for your own sake.

At the beginning of your requests a message went out, and I have come to convey it to you, for you are of great value in God’s sight. Therefore consider the message and understand the vision:

Respond to the requests of your servant and your people Israel for this place. Hear from your heavenly dwelling place and respond favorably and forgive.

They will come back shedding tears of contrition. I will bring them back praying prayers of repentance. I will lead them besides streams of water, along smooth paths where they will never stumble. I will do this because I am Israel’s father; Ephraim is my firstborn son.’”

Listen attentively, my God, and hear! Open your eyes and look on our desolated ruins and the city called by your name. For it is not because of our own righteous deeds that we are praying to you, but because your compassion is abundant.

“I will pour out on the kingship of David and the population of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication so that they will look to me, the one they have pierced. They will lament for him as one laments for an only son, and there will be a bitter cry for him like the bitter cry for a firstborn.