Psalm 51:1–19

¹Have mercy^d on me, O God,

according to your unfailing love;^e

according to your great compassion^f

blot out^g my transgressions.^h

²Wash awayⁱ all my iniquity

and cleanse^j me from my sin.

³For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is always before me.^k

⁴Against you, you only, have I sinned^l

and done what is evil in your sight;^m

so you are right in your verdict

and justified when you judge.ⁿ

⁵Surely I was sinful^o at birth,^p

sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

⁶Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;

you taught me wisdom^q in that secret place.^r

⁷Cleanse^s me with hyssop,^t and I will be clean;

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.^u

⁸Let me hear joy and gladness;^v

let the bones^w you have crushed rejoice.

⁹Hide your face from my sins^x

and blot out^y all my iniquity.

¹⁰Create in me a pure heart,^z O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.^a

¹¹Do not cast me^b from your presence^c

or take your Holy Spirit^d from me.

¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation^e

and grant me a willing spirit,^f to sustain me.^g

¹³Then I will teach transgressors your ways,^h

so that sinnersⁱ will turn back to you.^j

¹⁴Deliver me^k from the guilt of bloodshed,^l O God,

you who are God my Savior,^m

and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.ⁿ

¹⁵Open my lips, Lord,^o

and my mouth will declare your praise.

¹⁶You do not delight in sacrifice,^p or I would bring it;

you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

¹⁷My sacrifice,^q O God, is^b a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart^r

you, God, will not despise.

¹⁸May it please you to prosper Zion,^s

to build up the walls of Jerusalem.^t

¹⁹Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,^u

in burnt offerings^v offered whole;

then bulls^w will be offered on your altar.