Psalm 51:1–53:6
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
bBlot out my transgressions.
2 cWash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
4 dAgainst You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil ein Your sight—
fThat You may be found just 1when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.
5 gBehold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
7 hPurge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be iwhiter than snow.
8 Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken jmay rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
10 kCreate in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your lHoly Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your mgenerous Spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
16 For nYou do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
17 oThe sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.
18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then You shall be pleased with pthe sacrifices of righteousness,
With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.
The End of the Wicked and the Peace of the Godly
To the Chief Musician. A 1Contemplation of David aWhen Doeg the Edomite Went and bTold Saul, and Said to Him, “David Has Gone to the House of Ahimelech.”
1 Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?
The goodness of God endures continually.
2 Your tongue devises destruction,
Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
3 You love evil more than good,
Lying rather than speaking righteousness.
Selah
4 You love all devouring words,
You deceitful tongue.
5 God shall likewise destroy you forever;
He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place,
And uproot you from the land of the living.
Selah
6 The righteous also shall see and fear,
And shall laugh at him, saying,
7 “Here is the man who did not make God his strength,
But trusted in the abundance of his riches,
And strengthened himself in his 2wickedness.”
8 But I am clike a green olive tree in the house of God;
I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.
Because You have done it;
And in the presence of Your saints
I will wait on Your name, for it 3is good.
Folly of the Godless, and the Restoration of Israel
To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath.” A 1Contemplation of David.
1 The afool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;
bThere is none who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who cseek God.
3 Every one of them has turned aside;
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.
4 Have the workers of iniquity dno knowledge,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And do not call upon God?
5 eThere they are in great fear
Where no fear was,
For God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you;
You have put them to shame,
Because God has despised them.
6 fOh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When God brings back 2the captivity of His people,
Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.