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Psalm 51

Prayer for Cleansing and Pardon

To the leader. A Psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy,
    blot out my transgressions.(A)

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Psalm 51[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.(A)

Have mercy(B) on me, O God,
    according to your unfailing love;(C)
according to your great compassion(D)
    blot out(E) my transgressions.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 51:1 In Hebrew texts 51:1-19 is numbered 51:3-21.

19 Repent, therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out,

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19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out,(A) that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,

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22 I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud
    and your sins like mist;
return to me, for I have redeemed you.(A)

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22 I have swept away(A) your offenses like a cloud,
    your sins like the morning mist.
Return(B) to me,
    for I have redeemed(C) you.”

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25 I alone am the one
    who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,
    and I will not remember your sins.(A)

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25 “I, even I, am he who blots out
    your transgressions,(A) for my own sake,(B)
    and remembers your sins(C) no more.(D)

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Hide your face from my sins,
    and blot out all my iniquities.(A)

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Hide your face from my sins(A)
    and blot out(B) all my iniquity.

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14 erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross.

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14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness,(A) which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.(B)

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16 Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good;
    according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.(A)

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16 Answer me, Lord, out of the goodness of your love;(A)
    in your great mercy turn to me.

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It happened, late one afternoon when David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful.(A) David sent someone to inquire about the woman. It was reported, “This is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”(B) So David sent messengers to get her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she was purifying herself after her period.) Then she returned to her house.(C) The woman conceived, and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.”(D)

So David sent word to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the people fared and how the war was going. Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” Uriah went out of the king’s house, and there followed him a present from the king.(E) But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord and did not go down to his house. 10 When they told David, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “You have just come from a journey. Why did you not go down to your house?” 11 Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah remain in booths,[a] and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field; shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As you live and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing.”(F) 12 Then David said to Uriah, “Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day. On the next day,[b] 13 David invited him to eat and drink in his presence and made him drunk, and in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.(G)

David Has Uriah Killed

14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.(H) 15 In the letter he wrote, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, so that he may be struck down and die.”(I) 16 As Joab kept watch over the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant warriors. 17 The men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite was killed as well.(J) 18 Then Joab sent and told David all the news about the fighting, 19 and he instructed the messenger, “When you have finished telling the king all the news about the fighting, 20 if the king’s anger rises and if he says to you, ‘Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? 21 Who killed Abimelech son of Jerubbaal?[c] Did not a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?’ then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead, too.’ ”(K)

22 So the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had sent him to tell. 23 The messenger said to David, “The men gained an advantage over us and came out against us in the field, but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate. 24 Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall; some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.” 25 David said to the messenger, “Thus you shall say to Joab, ‘Do not let this matter trouble you, for the sword devours now one and now another; press your attack on the city and overthrow it.’ And encourage him.”

26 When the wife of Uriah heard that her husband was dead, she made lamentation for him.(L) 27 When the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son.

Nathan Condemns David

But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord,(M) 12 and the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.(N) The rich man had very many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb that he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meager fare and drink from his cup and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared that for the guest who had come to him.” Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die;(O) he shall restore the lamb fourfold because he did this thing and because he had no pity.”(P)

Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul;(Q) I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your bosom and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah, and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more. Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.(R) 10 Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.(S) 11 Thus says the Lord: I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house, and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in broad daylight.(T) 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and in broad daylight.”(U) 13 David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan said to David, “Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die.(V)

Footnotes

  1. 11.11 Or at Succoth
  2. 11.12 Gk ms Syr ms OL ms: Heb that day and the next
  3. 11.21 Gk Syr: Heb Jerubbesheth

One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof(A) of the palace. From the roof he saw(B) a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba,(C) the daughter of Eliam(D) and the wife of Uriah(E) the Hittite.” Then David sent messengers to get her.(F) She came to him, and he slept(G) with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.)(H) Then she went back home. The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”

So David sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah(I) the Hittite.” And Joab sent him to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.”(J) So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house.

10 David was told, “Uriah did not go home.” So he asked Uriah, “Haven’t you just come from a military campaign? Why didn’t you go home?”

11 Uriah said to David, “The ark(K) and Israel and Judah are staying in tents,[a] and my commander Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love(L) to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!”

12 Then David said to him, “Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 At David’s invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master’s servants; he did not go home.

14 In the morning David wrote a letter(M) to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15 In it he wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down(N) and die.(O)

16 So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. 17 When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David’s army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.

18 Joab sent David a full account of the battle. 19 He instructed the messenger: “When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle, 20 the king’s anger may flare up, and he may ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you know they would shoot arrows from the wall? 21 Who killed Abimelek(P) son of Jerub-Besheth[b]? Didn’t a woman drop an upper millstone on him from the wall,(Q) so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If he asks you this, then say to him, ‘Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.’”

22 The messenger set out, and when he arrived he told David everything Joab had sent him to say. 23 The messenger said to David, “The men overpowered us and came out against us in the open, but we drove them back to the entrance of the city gate. 24 Then the archers shot arrows at your servants from the wall, and some of the king’s men died. Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.”

25 David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Don’t let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.’ Say this to encourage Joab.”

26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. 27 After the time of mourning(R) was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased(S) the Lord.

Nathan Rebukes David(T)

12 The Lord sent Nathan(U) to David.(V) When he came to him,(W) he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

“Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”

David(X) burned with anger(Y) against the man(Z) and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives,(AA) the man who did this must die! He must pay for that lamb four times over,(AB) because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!(AC) This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed(AD) you(AE) king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master’s house to you,(AF) and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise(AG) the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down(AH) Uriah(AI) the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed(AJ) him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword(AK) will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

11 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household(AL) I am going to bring calamity on you.(AM) Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight.(AN) 12 You did it in secret,(AO) but I will do this thing in broad daylight(AP) before all Israel.’”

13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned(AQ) against the Lord.”

Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away(AR) your sin.(AS) You are not going to die.(AT)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 11:11 Or staying at Sukkoth
  2. 2 Samuel 11:21 Also known as Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon)

45 For their sake he remembered his covenant
    and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.(A)

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45 for their sake he remembered his covenant(A)
    and out of his great love(B) he relented.(C)

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to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace(A) that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight

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to the praise of his glorious grace,(A) which he has freely given us in the One he loves.(B) In him we have redemption(C) through his blood,(D) the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches(E) of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,

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Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
    for they have been from of old.(A)
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
    according to your steadfast love remember me,
    for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!(B)

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Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,(A)
    for they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth(B)
    and my rebellious ways;(C)
according to your love(D) remember me,
    for you, Lord, are good.(E)

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Psalm 4

Confident Plea for Deliverance from Enemies

To the leader: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

Answer me when I call, O God of my right!
    You gave me room when I was in distress.
    Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer.(A)

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Psalm 4[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.

Answer me(A) when I call to you,
    my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;(B)
    have mercy(C) on me and hear my prayer.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 4:1 In Hebrew texts 4:1-8 is numbered 4:2-9.

20 But law came in, so that the trespass might increase, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,(A) 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so grace might also reign through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase.(A) But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,(B) 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death,(C) so also grace(D) might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life(E) through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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