The Bible

Psalm 51

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

¹Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness.
According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.
²Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity.
Cleanse me from my sin.
³For I know my transgressions.
My sin is constantly in front me.
⁴[I have] sinned against [you, and] only [you],
and done what is evil in your sight,
so you [are] proved right when you speak,
and justified when you judge.
⁵See, I was born in iniquity.
My mother conceived me in sin.
⁶Look, you desire truth in the inward parts.
You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
⁷Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean.
Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
⁸Let me hear joy and gladness.
Let the bones which you have broken rejoice.
⁹Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all of my iniquities.
¹⁰Create a clean heart in me, O God.
Renew a right spirit within me.
¹¹Don't throw me from your presence,
and don't take your Holy Spirit from me.
¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation.
Uphold me with a willing spirit.
¹³Then I will teach lawbreakers your ways.
Sinners will be converted to you.
¹⁴Deliver me from [the guilt of] bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation.
[And my] tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
¹⁵LordOfMine, open my lips.
[And my] mouth will declare your praise. ¹⁶For you don't delight in sacrifice, [or else I would] give it.
You won't accept [my] burnt offering.
¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.
O God, you won't despise a broken and crushed heart. ¹⁸Do well in your good pleasure to Zion.
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹[Only then would you] delight in righteous sacrifices,
in whole burnt offerings,
the bulls offered on your altar.