Psalm 51
New King James Version
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.
2 (C)Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
4 (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.
5 (G)Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
7 (H)Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be (I)whiter than snow.
8 Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken (J)may rejoice.
9 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
- Psalm 51:4 LXX, Tg., Vg. in Your words
Psaumes 51
La Bible du Semeur
J’ai péché contre toi
51 Au chef de chœur. Un psaume de David, 2 qu’il composa lorsque le prophète Nathan vint chez lui après qu’il eut péché avec Bath-Shéba[a].
3 Aie pitié de moi, ô Dieu, ╵toi qui es si bon !
Efface mes transgressions, ╵tu es si compatissant !
4 Lave-moi de mon péché !
Purifie-moi de ma faute !
5 Car je reconnais mes torts :
la pensée de mon péché ╵me poursuit sans cesse.
6 Contre toi, contre toi seul, ╵j’ai péché,
j’ai commis ╵ce qui est mal à tes yeux.
Voilà pourquoi tu es juste ╵quand tu émets ta sentence,
et tu es irréprochable ╵quand tu rends ton jugement[b].
7 Je suis, depuis ma naissance, ╵marqué du péché ;
depuis qu’en ma mère ╵j’ai été conçu, le péché est attaché à moi.
8 Mais tu veux que la sincérité ╵demeure au fond de mon être.
Tu m’enseignes la sagesse ╵au plus profond de moi-même.
9 Purifie-moi du péché ╵avec un rameau d’hysope[c], ╵et je serai pur !
Lave-moi et je serai ╵plus blanc que la neige.
10 Fais résonner à nouveau ╵la joie et l’allégresse pour moi !
Les os que tu as broyés ╵retrouveront la gaieté.
11 Ne considère plus mes péchés !
Tous mes torts, efface-les !
12 O Dieu, crée en moi ╵un cœur pur !
Renouvelle en moi ╵un esprit bien disposé !
13 Ne me renvoie pas ╵loin de ta présence,
ne me reprends pas ton Esprit saint.
14 Rends-moi la joie du salut ╵que tu accomplis,
et affermis-moi ╵par ton Esprit généreux !
15 Alors je pourrai montrer ╵à qui est coupable ╵le chemin que tu prescris
pour que les pécheurs ╵reviennent à toi.
16 O Dieu, toi le Dieu qui me libères, ╵viens me délivrer ╵du poids de mon crime[d],
alors, par mes chants, ╵je proclamerai ╵ta justice.
17 Eternel, ouvre mes lèvres
et je te louerai.
18 Car tu ne désires pas ╵que je t’offre un sacrifice.
Je t’aurais offert des holocaustes,
mais tu n’y prends pas plaisir.
19 Le seul sacrifice ╵qui convienne à Dieu[e], ╵c’est un esprit humilié.
O Dieu, tu n’écartes pas ╵un cœur brisé et contrit.
20 Dans ta bonté, fais du bien ╵à la ville de Sion,
et bâtis les murs ╵de Jérusalem !
21 Alors tu prendras plaisir ╵à des sacrifices ╵qui sont conformes à la Loi :
holocaustes et offrandes totales,
et l’on offrira ╵des taureaux sur ton autel.
Footnotes
- 51.2 Voir 2 S 11 et 12.
- 51.6 Cité en Rm 3.4 d’après l’ancienne version grecque.
- 51.9 Plante utilisée pour l’aspersion du sang dans les rites de purification ordonnés par la Loi (Ex 12.22 ; Lv 14.4, 6 ; Nb 19.6, 18 ; Hé 9.19).
- 51.16 2 S 11.17.
- 51.19 Autre traduction : le sacrifice que je t’offre, ô Dieu.
Psalm 51
King James Version
51 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
Psalm 51
English Standard Version
Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when (A)Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
51 (B)Have mercy on me,[a] O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your (C)abundant mercy
(D)blot out my transgressions.
2 (E)Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and (F)cleanse me from my sin!
3 (G)For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 (H)Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil (I)in your sight,
(J)so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
5 Behold, (K)I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in (L)the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
7 Purge me (M)with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
(N)wash me, and I shall be (O)whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
(P)let the bones (Q)that you have broken rejoice.
9 (R)Hide your face from my sins,
and (S)blot out all my iniquities.
10 (T)Create in me a (U)clean heart, O God,
and (V)renew a right[b] spirit within me.
11 (W)Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not (X)your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will (Y)return to you.
14 Deliver me from (Z)bloodguiltiness, O God,
O (AA)God of my salvation,
and (AB)my tongue will sing aloud of your (AC)righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 (AD)For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are (AE)a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 (AF)Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
(AG)build up the walls of Jerusalem;
19 then will you delight in (AH)right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and (AI)whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Footnotes
- Psalm 51:1 Or Be gracious to me
- Psalm 51:10 Or steadfast
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
La Bible Du Semeur (The Bible of the Sower) Copyright © 1992, 1999 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
