Psalms 51
1 Unto the end. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he went to Bathsheba. Be merciful to me, O God, according to your great mercy. And, according to the plentitude of your compassion, wipe out my iniquity.
[For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.] Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me once again from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity. Cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my iniquity, and my sin is ever before me.
For I know my transgressions. My sin is constantly before me.
4 Against you only have I sinned, and I have done evil before your eyes. And so, you are justified in your words, and you will prevail when you give judgment.
Against you, and you only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight; that you may be proved right when you speak, and justified when you judge.
5 For behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sinfulness did my mother conceive me.
Look, I was brought forth in iniquity. In sin my mother conceived me.
6 For behold, you have loved truth. The obscure and hidden things of your wisdom, you have manifested to me.
Look, you desire truth in the inward parts. You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
7 You will sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed. You will wash me, and I will be made whiter than snow.
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 In my hearing, you will grant gladness and rejoicing. And the bones that have been humbled will exult.
Let me hear joy and gladness, That the bones which you have broken may rejoice.
9 Turn your face away from my sins, and erase all my iniquities.
Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all of my iniquities.
10 Create a clean heart in me, O God. And renew an upright spirit within my inmost being.
Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from your face; and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.
Do not throw me from your presence, and do not take your holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and confirm me with an unsurpassed spirit.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation. Uphold me with a willing spirit.
13 I will teach the unjust your ways, and the impious will be converted to you.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways. Sinners shall be converted to you.
14 Free me from blood, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will extol your justice.
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation. My tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, you will open my lips, and my mouth will announce your praise.
Lord, open my lips. My mouth shall declare your praise.
16 For if you had desired sacrifice, I would certainly have given it, but with holocausts, you will not be delighted.
For you do not delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it. You have no pleasure in burnt offering.
17 A crushed spirit is a sacrifice to God. A contrite and humbled heart, O God, you will not spurn.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 Act kindly, Lord, in your good will toward Zion, so that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up.
Do well in your good pleasure to Zion. Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then you will accept the sacrifice of justice, oblations, and holocausts. Then they will lay calves upon your altar.
Then you will delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, in burnt offerings and in whole burnt offerings. Then they will offer bulls on your altar.
