Sin: Confession of

Then he is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities and rebellious acts of the Israelites in regard to all their sins. He is to put them on the goat’s head and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man appointed for the task.

Early the next morning they got up and went up toward the ridge of the hill country. “We have indeed sinned,” they said, “but we will go to the place the LORD has promised.”

After David had numbered the troops, his conscience was stricken and he said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg You to take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”

When David saw the angel striking down the people, he said to the LORD, “Surely I, the shepherd, have sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house.”

And David said to God, “Was it not I who gave the order to count the people? I am the one who has sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? O LORD my God, please let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house, but do not let this plague remain upon Your people.”

For our fathers were unfaithful and did evil in the sight of the LORD our God. They abandoned Him, turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the LORD, and turned their backs on Him.

Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles, while I sat there in horror until the evening offering. …

And now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commandments …

…let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to hear the prayer that I, Your servant, now pray before You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned. …

Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all the foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.

While they stood in their places, they read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and they spent another quarter of the day in confession and worship of the LORD their God.

Then the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah—said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting: Blessed be Your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. …

If I have sinned, what have I done to You, O watcher of mankind? Why have You made me Your target, so that I am a burden to You?

Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.

How many are my iniquities and sins? Reveal to me my transgression and sin.

“Behold, I am insignificant. How can I reply to You? I place my hand over my mouth.

My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You.

Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah

There is no soundness in my body because of Your anger; there is no rest in my bones because of my sin.

For my iniquities have overwhelmed me; they are a burden too heavy to bear.

Yes, I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.

O LORD, do not withhold Your mercy from me; Your loving devotion and faithfulness will always guard me.

For evils without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, so that I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed within me.

I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against You.”

Wash me clean of my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. …

You know my folly, O God, and my guilt is not hidden from You.

When my heart was grieved and I was pierced within,

I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before You.

We have sinned like our fathers; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.

I considered my ways and turned my steps to Your testimonies.

I hurried without hesitating to keep Your commandments.

I have strayed like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, for I have not forgotten Your commandments.

If You, O LORD, kept track of iniquities, then who, O Lord, could stand?

Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.”

O LORD our God, other lords besides You have ruled over us, but Your name alone do we confess.

For our transgressions are multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us. Our transgressions are indeed with us, and we know our iniquities: …

You welcome those who gladly do right, who remember Your ways. Surely You were angry, for we sinned. How can we be saved if we remain in our sins? …

A voice is heard on the barren heights, the children of Israel weeping and begging for mercy, because they have perverted their ways and forgotten the LORD their God.

“Return, O faithless children, and I will heal your faithlessness.” “Here we are. We come to You, for You are the LORD our God.

Let us lie down in our shame; let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the LORD our God, both we and our fathers; from our youth even to this day we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.”

Why are we just sitting here? Gather together, let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there, for the LORD our God has doomed us. He has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.

We hoped for peace, but no good has come, for a time of healing, but there was only terror.

Although our iniquities testify against us, O LORD, act for the sake of Your name. Indeed, our rebellions are many; we have sinned against You.

We acknowledge our wickedness, O LORD, the guilt of our fathers; indeed, we have sinned against You.

I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning: ‘You disciplined me severely, like an untrained calf. Restore me, that I may return, for You are the LORD my God.

After I returned, I repented; and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh in grief. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’

The LORD is righteous, yet I rebelled against His command. Listen, all you people; look upon my suffering. My young men and maidens have gone into captivity.

See, O LORD, how distressed I am! I am churning within; my heart is pounding within me, for I have been most rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is death.

Let us examine and test our ways, and turn back to the LORD. …

…we have sinned and done wrong. We have acted wickedly and rebelled. We have turned away from Your commandments and ordinances.

We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, leaders, fathers, and all the people of the land.

O LORD, we are covered with shame—our kings, our leaders, and our fathers—because we have sinned against You. …

Now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and who made for Yourself a name renowned to this day, we have sinned; we have acted wickedly.

Finally he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food, but here I am, starving to death! …

For I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. …