Psalm 51

New American Standard Bible

A Contrite Sinner’s Prayer for Pardon.

For the music director. A Psalm of David, when ^[a]Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

51 ^(A)Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithfulness;
According to the greatness of ^(B)Your compassion, ^(C)wipe out my wrongdoings.
²^(D)Wash me thoroughly from my guilt
And ^(E)cleanse me from my sin.
³For I ^(F)know my wrongdoings,
And my sin is constantly before me.
⁴^(G)Against You, You only, I have sinned
And done what is ^(H)evil in Your sight,
So that ^(I)You ^[b]are justified ^[c]when You speak
And ^[d]blameless when You judge.

⁵Behold, I was ^(J)brought forth in guilt,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
⁶Behold, You desire ^(K)truth in the ^[e]innermost being,
And in secret You will ^(L)make wisdom known to me.
⁷^[f]Purify me ^(M)with hyssop, and I will be clean;
^[g]Cleanse me, and I will be ^(N)whiter than snow.
⁸^[h]Let me hear ^(O)joy and gladness,
Let the ^(P)bones You have broken rejoice.
⁹^(Q)Hide Your face from my sins
And wipe out all my guilty deeds.

¹⁰^(R)Create ^[i]in me a ^(S)clean heart, God,
And renew a ^(T)steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹^(U)Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your ^(V)Holy Spirit from me.
¹²Restore to me the ^(W)joy of Your salvation,
And sustain me with a ^(X)willing spirit.
¹³Then I will ^(Y)teach wrongdoers Your ways,
And sinners will ^[j]be ^(Z)converted to You.

¹⁴Save me from ^(AA)the guilt of bloodshed, God, ^(AB)the God of my salvation;
Then my ^(AC)tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
¹⁵Lord, ^[k]^(AD)open my lips,
So that my mouth may ^(AE)declare Your praise.
¹⁶For You ^(AF)do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
You do not take pleasure in burnt offering.
¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a ^(AG)broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, God, You will not despise.

¹⁸^(AH)By Your favor do good to Zion;
^[l]^(AI)Build the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹Then You will delight in ^[m]^(AJ)righteous sacrifices,
In ^(AK)burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then ^[n]bulls will be offered on Your altar.