Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
² Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
³ For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
⁵ Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
⁶ Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
⁷ Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
⁹ Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.
¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.
¹⁴ Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
¹⁵ Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
¹⁷ My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.
¹⁸ May it please you to prosper Zion,
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹ Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Psalm 51

How kind1 How merciful you are

O God, how full of grace!

Forgive my sin, how great it is —

Turn not away your face.

O wash me , cleanse me from this guilt

My rebel heart incurred

When I ignored your righteousness —

Despised your holy word.

Restore to me the purity

I had within my heart

Before I did this shameful deed —

It haunts me day and night.

‘Twas you I hurt, ‘gainst you alone

I sinned, O God, how bad

I was to do this dreadful deed

That made your heart so sad.

You saw it all, I could not hide

My actions from your face —

How just you are to sentence me,

To punish my disgrace,

For I was born a sinner, yes,

Conceived with evil heart

While still within my mother’s womb,

Unrighteous from the start.

‘Tis honesty that you deserve,

Sincerity and truth:

I cannot live without your help;

I’ve tried it from my youth.

I need the cleansing blood to wash

Away my awful stain,

To cleanse away this guilt, and make

Me white as snow again.

And when my punishment is through,

Please give me back my joy,

And see me like you used to do

When I was just a boy.

O recreate my heart and fill

My thoughts with righteousness;

Don’t banish from your presence, Lord,

I need your hand to bless.

Don’t take your Holy Spirit, O

How much I need Him near;

Restore my joy again to me,

Give me a listening ear.

How eager I will be to teach

To sinners righteous ways,

To turn them from their wickedness

And seek you all their days.

Don’t sentence me to death, my God,

But come and rescue me:

Of your forgiveness I will sing

And joyful I will be.

Not sacrifice is what you want —

How gladly I would give

My bulls and goats in penance.  Lord,

If they could make me live.

A broken heart is your desire,

A contrite spirit too,

A life submissive in your hand —

This is what pleases you.

(Don’t punish Israel for my sins;

Protect Jerusalem).

O see the good deeds I will do

And take delight in them.

And when I bring to you each day

My sacrifice of blood,

I’ll offer from a grateful heart

My worship, O my God.