Psalm 51

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

51 ¹Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness:

According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

²Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity,

And cleanse me from my sin.

³For I know my transgressions;

And my sin is ever before me.

⁴Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,

And done that which is evil in thy sight;

That thou mayest be justified when thou speakest,

And be clear when thou judgest.

⁵Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity;

And in sin did my mother conceive me. ⁶

Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts;

And in the hidden part thou wilt make me to know wisdom.

⁷Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

⁸Make me to hear joy and gladness,

That the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

⁹Hide thy face from my sins,

And blot out all mine iniquities.

¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God;

And renew a right spirit within me.

¹¹Cast me not away from thy presence;

And take not thy holy Spirit from me.

¹²Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;

And uphold me with a willing spirit.

¹³Then will I teach transgressors thy ways;

And sinners shall be converted unto thee.

¹⁴Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation;

And my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

¹⁵O Lord, open thou my lips;

And my mouth shall show forth thy praise.

¹⁶For thou delightest not in sacrifice; else would I give it:

Thou hast no pleasure in burnt-offering.

¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:

A broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

¹⁸Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion:

Build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

¹⁹Then will thou delight in the sacrifices of righteousness,

In burnt-offering and in whole burnt-offering:

Then will they offer bullocks upon thine altar.