Psalm 51

A Prayer of Repentance and Plea for Mercy

51For the music director. A psalm of David.

When Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.^a

¹Be gracious to me, O God, according to your loyal love.

According to your abundant mercies,

blot out my transgressions.

²Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

and from my sin cleanse me.

³For I myself know^b my transgressions,^c

and my sin is ever before me.

⁴Against you, only you, I have sinned

and have done this evil^d in your eyes,

so that you are correct when you speak,

you are blameless when you judge.

⁵Behold, in iniquity I was born,

and in sin my mother conceived me.

⁶Behold, you delight in truth in the inward parts,

and in the hidden parts you 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 hear joy and gladness;

let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

⁹Hide your face from my sins,

and all my iniquities blot out.

¹⁰Create a clean heart for me, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.^e

¹¹Do not cast me away from your presence,

and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.

¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

and with a willing spirit sustain me.

¹³Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

and sinners will turn back to you.

¹⁴Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,

the God of my salvation;

then my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.

¹⁵O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will proclaim your praise.

¹⁶For you do not delight in sacrifice or I would give it.

With a burnt offering you are not pleased.

¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

A broken and contrite heart,

O God, you will not despise.

¹⁸Do good in your favor toward Zion.

Build the walls of Jerusalem.

¹⁹Then you will delight in righteous sacrifices,

burnt offering and whole burnt offering.

Then bulls will be offered on your altar.