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.
O God, be merciful to me, because you love me faithfully; because you are very merciful, erase [the record of] the ways that I disobeyed you!
2 More waische thou me fro my wickidnesse; and clense thou me fro my synne.
Make me pure from the wrong things that I have done; make me clean from [the guilt of] my sin.
3 For Y knouleche my wickidnesse; and my synne is euere ayens me.
[I say that] because I know the ways that I have disobeyed you; I cannot forget them.
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!
You, you only, are the one that I have [really] sinned against, and you have seen the evil things that I have done. When you say that I am guilty, you are right/correct, and when you judge me, you justly say [that I deserve to be punished].
5 Y was conseyued in wickednessis; and my modir conceyuede me in synnes.
I have been a sinner since the day that I was born; [truly], I have been like that since my mother conceived me.
6 For lo! thou louedist treuthe; thou hast schewid to me the vncerteyn thingis, and pryuy thingis of thi wisdom.
What you desire is that I desire what is true in order that you [can] teach me how to act wisely.
7 Lord, sprenge thou me with ysope, and Y schal be clensid; waische thou me, and Y schal be maad whijt more than snow.
Purify me from the guilt of my sins, and [after that happens], I will be clean [in my inner being]; cleanse me, and [then in my inner being] I will be (whiter than snow/very clean).
8 Yyue thou ioie, and gladnesse to myn heryng; and boonys maad meke schulen ful out make ioye.
Allow/Cause me to be joyful [DOU] again; you have (crushed my spirit/completely discouraged me) [MTY]; [but now] let me rejoice [again].
9 Turne awei thi face fro my synnes; and do awei alle my wickidnesses.
Do not continue to look at the sins [IDM] that I have committed; erase the record of the evil things that I have done.
10 God, make thou a clene herte in me; and make thou newe a riytful spirit in my entrailis.
O God, cause my inner being to be pure. Put new [thoughts] within me and make me faithful again.
11 Caste thou me not awei fro thi face; and take thou not awei fro me thin hooli spirit.
Do not send me away from you [because of my sin], 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.
Cause/Allow me to be happy again because of [knowing] that you have freed me [from the guilt of my sin], and make me willing [to obey you].
13 I schal teche wickid men thi weies; and vnfeithful men schulen be conuertid to thee.
If you do that, I will [be able to] teach [other] sinners what you want them to do, and they will repent and begin to obey you.
14 God, the God of myn helthe, delyuere thou me fro bloodis; and my tunge schal ioyfuli synge thi riytfulnesse.
O God, you are the one who saves me; forgive me for being guilty of causing someone [who was not my enemy] to die. [When you do that], I will sing joyfully about your being very good and righteous.
15 Lord, `opene thou my lippis; and my mouth schal telle thi preysyng.
O Yahweh, help me to speak [in order that] I may praise you.
16 For if thou haddist wold sacrifice, Y hadde youe; treuli thou schalt not delite in brent sacrifices.
You are not pleased [only] with the sacrifices [that people bring to you]. If that were [enough to] please you, I would bring you sacrifices. You are not pleased with burnt offerings [alone].
17 A sacrifice to God is a spirit troblid; God, thou schalt not dispise a contrit herte and `maad meke.
The sacrifice that you [really] want is for people to be truly humble and sorry [for having sinned]; O God, you will not refuse that kind of sacrifice.
18 Lord, do thou benygneli in thi good wille to Syon; that the wallis of Jerusalem be bildid.
[O God], be good to [the people who live in] Jerusalem [MTY], [and help them] to rebuild the city walls.
19 Thanne thou schalt take plesauntli the sacrifice of riytfulnesse, offryngis, and brent sacrifices; thanne thei schulen putte calues on thin auter.
When that happens, [they will bring you] the proper sacrifices, animals that they will completely burn, young bulls that they will burn on your altar, and you will be pleased.
