18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted;

he saves those crushed in spirit.  *

17 The sacrifice pleasing to God is  * a broken spirit.

You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God.  *

3 He heals the brokenhearted

and bandages their wounds.  *

26 My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength  * of my heart,

my portion forever.  *

15 For the High and Exalted One,

who lives forever, whose name is holy,  * says this:

"I live in a high and holy place,

and with the oppressed and lowly of spirit,  *

to revive the spirit of the lowly

and revive the heart of the oppressed.  *

2 My hand made all these things,

and so they all came into being.

This is the  Lord’s declaration.

I will look favorably on this kind of person:

one who is humble,  * submissive  *  in spirit,  *

and trembles at my word.

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is on me,  *

because the Lord has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor.  *

He has sent me to heal  * the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives

and freedom to the prisoners;  *

2 to proclaim the year of the  Lord’s favor,  *

and the day of our God’s vengeance;  *

to comfort  * all who mourn,

3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion;

to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,

festive oil instead of mourning,  *

and splendid clothes instead of despair.  *

And they will be called righteous trees,

planted by the  Lord

to glorify him.  *

3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit,*

for the kingdom of heaven*is theirs.

4 Blessed are those who mourn,*

for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the humble,*

for they will inherit the earth.

10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly grief produces death.  *11 For consider how much diligence this very thing — this grieving as God wills — has produced in you: what a desire to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what deep longing, what zeal, what justice! In every way you showed yourselves to be pure  * in this matter.

9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power*is perfected in weakness."*

Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.