Ψαλμοί 51

1 εἰς τὸ τέλος ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυιδ ἐν τῷ ἐλθεῖν πρὸς αὐτὸν Ναθαν τὸν προφήτην ἡνίκα εἰσῆλθεν πρὸς Βηρσαβεε ἐλέησόν με ὁ θεός κατὰ τὸ μέγα ἔλεός σου καὶ κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν σου ἐξάλειψον τὸ ἀνόμημά μου

For the music director. A psalm of David. When Nathan the prophet came to him after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba. God, please be gracious to me, because of your trustworthy love, because of your infinite kindness please wipe away my sins.

2 ἐπὶ πλεῖον πλῦνόν με ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνομίας μου καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας μου καθάρισόν με

Wash away all my guilt; cleanse me from my sin.

3 ὅτι τὴν ἀνομίαν μου ἐγὼ γινώσκω καὶ ἡ ἁμαρτία μου ἐνώπιόν μού ἐστιν διὰ παντός

I admit my rebellion; my sin always stares me in my face.

4 σοὶ μόνῳ ἥμαρτον καὶ τὸ πονηρὸν ἐνώπιόν σου ἐποίησα ὅπως ἂν δικαιωθῇς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις σου καὶ νικήσῃς ἐν τῷ κρίνεσθαί σε

I have sinned against you, you alone. I have done evil in your sight. So you are right in what you say, and fair when you judge.

5 ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἐν ἀνομίαις συνελήμφθην καὶ ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ἐκίσσησέν με ἡ μήτηρ μου

It's true that I was born guilty—sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

6 ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἀλήθειαν ἠγάπησας τὰ ἄδηλα καὶ τὰ κρύφια τῆς σοφίας σου ἐδήλωσάς μοι

But you want truth on the inside; you teach me wisdom deep within.

7 ῥαντιεῖς με ὑσσώπῳ καὶ καθαρισθήσομαι πλυνεῖς με καὶ ὑπὲρ χιόνα λευκανθήσομαι

Purify me with hyssop so I can be clean; wash me so I can be whiter than snow.

8 ἀκουτιεῖς με ἀγαλλίασιν καὶ εὐφροσύνην ἀγαλλιάσονται ὀστᾶ τεταπεινωμένα

Please let me hear joy and happiness again; let the bones you have crushed be glad once more.

9 ἀπόστρεψον τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μου καὶ πάσας τὰς ἀνομίας μου ἐξάλειψον

Turn your face away from looking at my sins; please wipe away my guilt.

10 καρδίαν καθαρὰν κτίσον ἐν ἐμοί ὁ θεός καὶ πνεῦμα εὐθὲς ἐγκαίνισον ἐν τοῖς ἐγκάτοις μου

Create a pure mind in me, God, and make me trustworthy again.

11 μὴ ἀπορρίψῃς με ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιόν σου μὴ ἀντανέλῃς ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ

Don't expel me from your presence; don't take away your Holy Spirit from me.

12 ἀπόδος μοι τὴν ἀγαλλίασιν τοῦ σωτηρίου σου καὶ πνεύματι ἡγεμονικῷ στήρισόν με

Give me back the happiness of your salvation; help me to have a willing nature.

13 διδάξω ἀνόμους τὰς ὁδούς σου καὶ ἀσεβεῖς ἐπὶ σὲ ἐπιστρέψουσιν

Then I will teach your ways to rebellious people, and these sinners will come back to you.

14 ῥῦσαί με ἐξ αἱμάτων ὁ θεὸς ὁ θεὸς τῆς σωτηρίας μου ἀγαλλιάσεται ἡ γλῶσσά μου τὴν δικαιοσύνην σου

God, please forgive me for the blood I have shed, God of my salvation, and I will sing for joy of your goodness.

15 κύριε τὰ χείλη μου ἀνοίξεις καὶ τὸ στόμα μου ἀναγγελεῖ τὴν αἴνεσίν σου

Open my lips so I can speak your praise!

16 ὅτι εἰ ἠθέλησας θυσίαν ἔδωκα ἄν ὁλοκαυτώματα οὐκ εὐδοκήσεις

For sacrifices don't make you happy, or I would bring one; burnt offerings aren't what pleases you.

17 θυσία τῷ θεῷ πνεῦμα συντετριμμένον καρδίαν συντετριμμένην καὶ τεταπεινωμένην ὁ θεὸς οὐκ ἐξουθενώσει

The “sacrifices” that God wants are on the inside—the brokenness of repentance. God won't reject a broken and sorrowful heart.

18 ἀγάθυνον κύριε ἐν τῇ εὐδοκίᾳ σου τὴν Σιων καὶ οἰκοδομηθήτω τὰ τείχη Ιερουσαλημ

Be kind to Zion, help the city; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

19 τότε εὐδοκήσεις θυσίαν δικαιοσύνης ἀναφορὰν καὶ ὁλοκαυτώματα τότε ἀνοίσουσιν ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριόν σου μόσχους

Then you will be pleased with sacrifices given in the right spirit, for all kinds of burnt offerings, and bulls sacrificed on your altar once more.