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.

To the Overseer. — A Psalm of David, in the coming in unto him of Nathan the prophet, when he hath gone in unto Bath-Sheba. Favour me, O God, according to Thy kindness, According to the abundance of Thy mercies, Blot out my transgressions.

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

Thoroughly wash me from mine iniquity, And from my sin cleanse me,

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

For my transgressions I do know, And my sin [is] before me continually.

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 Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, And done the evil thing in Thine eyes, So that Thou art righteous in Thy words, Thou art pure in Thy judging.

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

Lo, in iniquity I have been brought forth, And in sin doth my mother conceive me.

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

Lo, truth Thou hast desired in the inward parts, And in the hidden part Wisdom Thou causest me to know.

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

Thou cleansest me with hyssop and I am clean, Washest me, and than snow I am whiter.

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

Thou causest me to hear joy and gladness, Thou makest joyful bones Thou hast bruised.

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

Hide Thy face from my sin. And all mine iniquities blot out.

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

A clean heart prepare for me, O God, And a right spirit renew within me.

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

Cast me not forth from Thy presence, And Thy Holy Spirit take not 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 Thy salvation, And a willing spirit doth sustain me.

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

I teach transgressors Thy ways, And sinners unto Thee do return.

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

Deliver me from blood, O God, God of my salvation, My tongue singeth of Thy righteousness.

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

O Lord, my lips thou dost open, And my mouth declareth Thy praise.

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

For Thou desirest not sacrifice, or I give [it], Burnt-offering Thou acceptest not.

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

The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit, A heart broken and bruised, O God, Thou dost not despise.

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

Do good in Thy good pleasure with Zion, Thou dost build the walls of Jerusalem.

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

Then Thou desirest sacrifices of righteousness, Burnt-offering, and whole burnt-offering, Then they offer bullocks on thine altar!