Psalm 51

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had sinned with Bathsheba.

 ¹HAVE MERCY upon me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to the multitude of Your tender mercy and loving-kindness blot out my transgressions.
    ²Wash me thoroughly [and repeatedly] from my iniquity and guilt and cleanse me and make me wholly pure from my sin!
    ³For I am conscious of my transgressions and I acknowledge them; my sin is ever before me.
    ⁴Against You, You only, have I sinned and done that which is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified in Your sentence and faultless in Your judgment.^{(A)
    5}Behold, I was brought forth in [a state of] iniquity; my mother was sinful who conceived me [and I too am sinful].^{(B)
    6}Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart.
    ⁷Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean [ceremonially]; wash me, and I shall [in reality] be whiter than snow.
    ⁸Make me to hear joy and gladness and be satisfied; let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
    ⁹Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my guilt and iniquities.
    ¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me.
    ¹¹Cast me not away from Your presence and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.
    ¹²Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit.
    ¹³Then will I teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted and return to You.
    ¹⁴Deliver me from bloodguiltiness and death, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness (Your rightness and Your justice).
    ¹⁵O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
    ¹⁶For You delight not in sacrifice, or else would I give it; You find no pleasure in burnt offering.^{(C)
    17}My sacrifice [the sacrifice acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart [broken down with sorrow for sin and humbly and thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.
    ¹⁸Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
    ¹⁹Then will You delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, justice, and right, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then bullocks will be offered upon Your altar.