18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;

he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.

You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.

3 He heals the brokenhearted

and bandages their wounds.

26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,

but God remains the strength of my heart;

he is mine forever.

15 The high and lofty one who lives in eternity,

the Holy One, says this:

"I live in the high and holy place

with those whose spirits are contrite and humble.

I restore the crushed spirit of the humble

and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.

2 My hands have made both heaven and earth;

they and everything in them are mine.*

I, the Lord, have spoken!

"I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts,

who tremble at my word.

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,

for the Lord has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted

and to proclaim that captives will be released

and prisoners will be freed.*

2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn

that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,*

and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.

3 To all who mourn in Israel,*

he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,

a joyous blessing instead of mourning,

festive praise instead of despair.

In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks

that the Lord has planted for his own glory.

3 "God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,*

for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

4 God blesses those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

5 God blesses those who are humble,

for they will inherit the whole earth.

10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

11 Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right.

9 Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.