Psalms
(Of the Director. A psalm of David’s, when the prophet Nathan came to him after he had gone in to Bath-Shebaʽ.)
51 Be gracious to me, God, in accordance with your friendliness; in accordance with your great tenderness, cancel my crime;
2 Wash my guilt thoroughly out of me and make me
clean from my sin.
3 For I am conscious of my crime
and have my sin always facing me.
4 Against you alone I sinned
and did what you found bad,
In order that you should be in the right when you speak
and be irreproachable when you judge.
5 It was in guilt I was brought to birth,
and in sin my mother received the seed for me.
6 Ah, you wish for truth in what is mistiest,
will open to me insight in what is unapparent,
7 Will take off my sin with marjoram and have me clean,
wash me out and have me come whiter than snow,
8 Set me to hearing joy and gladness;
let the bones you battered be gleeful.
9 Veil your face from my sins
and wipe out all my guilts.
10 Create a clean heart for me, God,
and put a new-resolved spirit within me.
11 Do not throw me out from your presence
and do not take your holy spirit from me.
12 Give me back the joy of your salvation
and let a ready spirit uphold me.
13 I will teach rebels your ways,
and sinners shall come back to you.
14 Deliver me from the stain of blood, God, God of my salvation; my tongue shall carol your right-doing.
15 Lord, open my lips
and my mouth shall tell your praise.
16 For you do not wish a sacrifice that I should give;
you would not welcome a burnt-offering.
17 God’s sacrifices are a broken spirit;
a heart broken and battered down, O God, you will not despise.
18 Do good to Sion in your kindness;
let Jerusalem’s walls be built.
19 Then you shall be pleased with rightful sacrifices, burnt-offering and offering entire;
then they shall burn steers on your altar.