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)
Wash away(G) all my iniquity
    and cleanse(H) me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is always before me.(I)
Against you, you only, have I sinned(J)
    and done what is evil in your sight;(K)
so you are right in your verdict
    and justified when you judge.(L)
Surely I was sinful(M) at birth,(N)
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
    you taught me wisdom(O) in that secret place.(P)

Cleanse(Q) me with hyssop,(R) and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.(S)
Let me hear joy and gladness;(T)
    let the bones(U) you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins(V)
    and blot out(W) all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart,(X) O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.(Y)
11 Do not cast me(Z) from your presence(AA)
    or take your Holy Spirit(AB) from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation(AC)
    and grant me a willing spirit,(AD) to sustain me.(AE)

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,(AF)
    so that sinners(AG) will turn back to you.(AH)
14 Deliver me(AI) from the guilt of bloodshed,(AJ) O God,
    you who are God my Savior,(AK)
    and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.(AL)
15 Open my lips, Lord,(AM)
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice,(AN) or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice,(AO) O God, is[b] a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart(AP)
    you, God, will not despise.

18 May it please you to prosper Zion,(AQ)
    to build up the walls of Jerusalem.(AR)
19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,(AS)
    in burnt offerings(AT) offered whole;
    then bulls(AU) will be offered on your altar.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 51:1 In Hebrew texts 51:1-19 is numbered 51:3-21.
  2. Psalm 51:17 Or The sacrifices of God are

A Prayer of Repentance

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David (A)when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

51 Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
(B)Blot out my transgressions.
(C)Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
(D)Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil (E)in Your sight—
(F)That You may be found just [a]when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.

(G)Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

(H)Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be (I)whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken (J)may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.

10 (K)Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your (L)Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your (M)generous Spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.

14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
16 For (N)You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
17 (O)The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.

18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then You shall be pleased with (P)the sacrifices of righteousness,
With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 51:4 LXX, Tg., Vg. in Your words

A Contrite Sinner’s Prayer for Pardon.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had sinned with Bathsheba.

51 Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness and guilt
And cleanse me from my sin.

For I am conscious of my transgressions and I acknowledge them;
My sin is always before me.

Against You, You only, have I sinned
And done that which is evil in Your sight,
So that You are justified when You speak [Your sentence]
And faultless in Your judgment.(A)


I was brought forth in [a state of] wickedness;
In sin my mother conceived me [and from my beginning I, too, was sinful].(B)

Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
And in the hidden part [of my heart] You will make me know wisdom.

Purify me with [a]hyssop, and I will be clean;
Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Make me hear joy and gladness and be satisfied;
Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.

Hide Your face from my sins
And blot out all my iniquities.

10 
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a right and steadfast spirit within me.
11 
Do not cast me away from Your presence
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit.
13 
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted and return to You.

14 
Rescue me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation;
Then my tongue will sing joyfully of Your righteousness and Your justice.
15 
O Lord, open my lips,
That my mouth may declare Your praise.
16 
For You do not delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You are not pleased with burnt offering.(C)
17 
My [only] sacrifice [acceptable] to God is a broken spirit;
A broken and contrite heart [broken with sorrow for sin, thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.

18 
By Your favor do good to Zion;
May You rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
19 
Then will You delight in the sacrifices of righteousness,
In burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 51:7 This evidently was a bristly plant which was useful as a kind of brush.

51 (For the one directing. Mizmor Dovid. When Natan HaNavi confronted him after he went into Bat- Sheva—2Sm. 11:2) Have mercy upon me, O Elohim, according to Thy chesed; according unto the multitude of Thy rachamim blot out my peysha’im (transgressions, rebellions).

(4) Wash me thoroughly from mine avon (iniquity), and cleanse me from my chattat (sin).

(5) For I acknowledge my peysha’im (transgressions, rebellions); and my chattat (sin) is ever before me.

(6) Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done the rah in Thy sight; that Thou mightest be found just when Thou speakest, and be blameless when Thou judgest.

(7) Surely, I was brought forth in avon; and in chet did immi conceive me [i.e., I was a sinner from conception].

(8) Surely Thou desirest emes in the inward parts; and in the inmost place Thou shalt make me to know chochmah.

(9) Purge me with ezov (hyssop), and I shall be tahor; wash me, and I shall be whiter than sheleg (snow).

(10) Make me to hear sasson and simchah; that the atzmot which Thou hast broken may rejoice.

(11) Hide Thy face from my chatta’im, and blot out all mine avonot.

10 (12) Create in me a lev tahor, O Elohim; and renew a ruach nekhon (steadfast spirit [i.e., regeneration Ezek 36:26; Yn 3:3,6]) within me.

11 (13) Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Ruach Hakodesh from me.

12 (14) Restore unto me the sasson of Thy salvation; and uphold me with a ruach nedivah (a willing spirit; see Jer 31:31-34).

13 (15) Then will I teach poshe’im (transgressors) Thy drakhim; and chatta’im (sinners) shall be converted [have a spiritual turnaround; see Isa 6:10] unto Thee.

14 (16) Save me from damim (bloodguiltiness), O Elohim, Thou Elohei Teshuati; and my leshon shall sing aloud of Thy tzedakah.

15 (17) Adonoi, open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth Thy tehillah (praise).

16 (18) For Thou desirest not zevach (sacrifice); else would I give it; Thou delightest not in olah (burnt offering).

17 (19) The zivkhei Elohim are a ruach nishbarah (broken spirit); a broken and contrite lev, O Elohim, Thou wilt not despise.

18 (20) Do good in Thy good pleasure unto Tziyon; build Thou the chomot Yerushalayim.

19 (21) Then shalt Thou be pleased with zivkhei tzedek (true sacrifices, sacrifices of righteousness), with olah (burnt offering) and whole burnt offering; then shall they offer parim (bulls) upon Thine Mizbe’ach. [T.N. This Psalm, Ps 51, teaches the doctrine of Chet Kadmon from which comes the seminal corrupting human condition necessitating hitkhadshut for all fallen Bnei Adam]