Psalms 51
1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness. According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
To the chief music-maker. A Psalm. Of David. When Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba. Have pity on me, O God, in your mercy; out of a full heart, take away my sin.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Let all my wrongdoing be washed away, and make me clean from evil.
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
For I am conscious of my error; my sin is ever before me.
4 Against thee, thee only, I have sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight, that thou may be justified when thou speak, and may prevail when thou are criticized.
Against you, you only, have I done wrong, working that which is evil in your eyes; so that your words may be seen to be right, and you may be clear when you are judging.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.
Truly, I was formed in evil, and in sin did my mother give me birth.
6 Behold, thou desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part thou will make me to know wisdom.
Your desire is for what is true in the inner parts: in the secrets of my soul you will give me knowledge of wisdom.
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me free from sin with hyssop: let me be washed whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou have broken may rejoice.
Make me full of joy and rapture; so that the bones which have been broken may be glad.
9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
Let your face be turned from my wrongdoing, and take away all my sins.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Make a clean heart in me, O God; give me a right spirit again.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me.
Do not put me away from before you, or take your holy spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Give me back the joy of your salvation; let a free spirit be my support.
13 Then I will teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall be converted to thee.
Then will I make your ways clear to wrongdoers; and sinners will be turned to you.
14 Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation. And my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
Be my saviour from violent death, O God, the God of my salvation; and my tongue will give praise to your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.
O Lord, let my lips be open, so that my mouth may make clear your praise.
16 For thou delight not in sacrifice, else I would give it. Thou have no pleasure in burnt offering.
You have no desire for an offering or I would give it; you have no delight in burned offerings.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, thou will not despise.
The offerings of God are a broken spirit; a broken and sorrowing heart, O God, you will not put from you.
18 Do good in thy good pleasure to Zion. Build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
Do good to Zion in your good pleasure, building up the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then thou will delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, in burnt offering and in whole burnt offering. Then they will offer bullocks upon thine altar.
Then you will have delight in the offerings of righteousness, in burned offerings and offerings of beasts; then they will make offerings of oxen on your altar.
