51:1  To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy steadfast love; according to thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

51:2  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

51:3  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

51:4  Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight, so that thou art justified in thy sentence and blameless in thy judgment.

51:5  Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

51:6  Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.

51:7  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

51:8  Fill me with joy and gladness; let the bones which thou hast broken rejoice.

51:9  Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

51:10  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.

51:11  Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me.

51:12  Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

51:13  Then I will teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners will return to thee.

51:14  Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of thy deliverance.

51:15  O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.

51:16  For thou hast no delight in sacrifice; were I to give a burnt offering, thou wouldst not be pleased.

51:17  The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

51:18  Do good to Zion in thy good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,

51:19  then wilt thou delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be