Psalms 51

1 To victorie, the salm of Dauid; `whanne Nathan the prophete cam to hym, whanne he entride to Bersabee. God, haue thou merci on me; bi thi greet merci. And bi the mychilnesse of thi merciful doyngis; do thou awei my wickidnesse.

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.

2 More waische thou me fro my wickidnesse; and clense thou me fro my synne.

Wash me once again from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For Y knouleche my wickidnesse; and my synne is euere ayens me.

For I know my iniquity, and my sin is ever before me.

4 I haue synned to thee aloone, and Y haue do yuel bifor thee; that thou be iustified in thi wordis, and ouercome whanne thou art demed. For lo!

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.

5 Y was conseyued in wickednessis; and my modir conceyuede me in synnes.

For behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sinfulness did my mother conceive me.

6 For lo! thou louedist treuthe; thou hast schewid to me the vncerteyn thingis, and pryuy thingis of thi wisdom.

For behold, you have loved truth. The obscure and hidden things of your wisdom, you have manifested to me.

7 Lord, sprenge thou me with ysope, and Y schal be clensid; waische thou me, and Y schal be maad whijt more than snow.

You will sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed. You will wash me, and I will be made whiter than snow.

8 Yyue thou ioie, and gladnesse to myn heryng; and boonys maad meke schulen ful out make ioye.

In my hearing, you will grant gladness and rejoicing. And the bones that have been humbled will exult.

9 Turne awei thi face fro my synnes; and do awei alle my wickidnesses.

Turn your face away from my sins, and erase all my iniquities.

10 God, make thou a clene herte in me; and make thou newe a riytful spirit in my entrailis.

Create a clean heart in me, O God. And renew an upright spirit within my inmost being.

11 Caste thou me not awei fro thi face; and take thou not awei fro me thin hooli spirit.

Do not cast me away from your face; and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Yiue thou to me the gladnesse of thyn helthe; and conferme thou me with the principal spirit.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and confirm me with an unsurpassed spirit.

13 I schal teche wickid men thi weies; and vnfeithful men schulen be conuertid to thee.

I will teach the unjust your ways, and the impious will be converted to you.

14 God, the God of myn helthe, delyuere thou me fro bloodis; and my tunge schal ioyfuli synge thi riytfulnesse.

Free me from blood, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will extol your justice.

15 Lord, `opene thou my lippis; and my mouth schal telle thi preysyng.

O Lord, you will open my lips, and my mouth will announce your praise.

16 For if thou haddist wold sacrifice, Y hadde youe; treuli thou schalt not delite in brent sacrifices.

For if you had desired sacrifice, I would certainly have given it, but with holocausts, you will not be delighted.

17 A sacrifice to God is a spirit troblid; God, thou schalt not dispise a contrit herte and `maad meke.

A crushed spirit is a sacrifice to God. A contrite and humbled heart, O God, you will not spurn.

18 Lord, do thou benygneli in thi good wille to Syon; that the wallis of Jerusalem be bildid.

Act kindly, Lord, in your good will toward Zion, so that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up.

19 Thanne thou schalt take plesauntli the sacrifice of riytfulnesse, offryngis, and brent sacrifices; thanne thei schulen putte calues on thin auter.

Then you will accept the sacrifice of justice, oblations, and holocausts. Then they will lay calves upon your altar.