Psalms 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 before me. ⁴Against you, and you only, I have sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight, so you may be proved right when you speak, and justified when you judge. ⁵Behold, I was born in iniquity. My mother conceived me in sin. ⁶Behold, 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, that the bones which you have broken may rejoice. ⁹Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all of my iniquities. ¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, 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 transgressors your ways. Sinners will be converted to you. ¹⁴Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation. My tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. ¹⁵Lord, open my lips. My mouth will declare your praise. ¹⁶For you don’t delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it. You have no pleasure in burnt offering. ¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. O God, you will not despise a broken and contrite heart. ¹⁸Do well in your good pleasure to Zion. Build the walls of Jerusalem. ¹⁹Then you will delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, in burnt offerings and in whole burnt offerings. Then they will offer bulls on your altar.