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Psalm 51
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Psalm 51
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Psalm 51[a]
The Miserere: Prayer of Repentance
1 For the leader. A psalm of David, 2 when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone in to Bathsheba.(A)
I
3 Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love;
in your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions.
4 Thoroughly wash away my guilt;
and from my sin cleanse me.
5 For I know my transgressions;
my sin is always before me.(B)
6 Against you, you alone have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your eyes
So that you are just in your word,
and without reproach in your judgment.(C)
7 Behold, I was born in guilt,
in sin my mother conceived me.[b](D)
8 Behold, you desire true sincerity;
and secretly you teach me wisdom.
9 Cleanse me with hyssop,[c] that I may be pure;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.(E)
10 You will let me hear gladness and joy;
the bones you have crushed will rejoice.
II
11 Turn away your face from my sins;
blot out all my iniquities.
12 A clean heart create for me, God;
renew within me a steadfast spirit.(F)
13 Do not drive me from before your face,
nor take from me your holy spirit.(G)
14 Restore to me the gladness of your salvation;
uphold me with a willing spirit.
15 I will teach the wicked your ways,
that sinners may return to you.
16 Rescue me from violent bloodshed, God, my saving God,
and my tongue will sing joyfully of your justice.(H)
17 Lord, you will open my lips;
and my mouth will proclaim your praise.
18 For you do not desire sacrifice[d] or I would give it;
a burnt offering you would not accept.(I)
19 My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a contrite, humbled heart, O God, you will not scorn.
III
20 [e]Treat Zion kindly according to your good will;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.(J)
21 Then you will desire the sacrifices of the just,
burnt offering and whole offerings;
then they will offer up young bulls on your altar.
Footnotes
- Psalm 51 A lament, the most famous of the seven Penitential Psalms, prays for the removal of the personal and social disorders that sin has brought. The poem has two parts of approximately equal length: Ps 51:3–10 and Ps 51:11–19, and a conclusion in Ps 51:20–21. The two parts interlock by repetition of “blot out” in the first verse of each section (Ps 51:3, 11), of “wash (away)” just after the first verse of each section (Ps 51:4) and just before the last verse (Ps 51:9) of the first section, and of “heart,” “God,” and “spirit” in Ps 51:12, 19. The first part (Ps 51:3–10) asks deliverance from sin, not just a past act but its emotional, physical, and social consequences. The second part (Ps 51:11–19) seeks something more profound than wiping the slate clean: nearness to God, living by the spirit of God (Ps 51:12–13), like the relation between God and people described in Jer 31:33–34. Nearness to God brings joy and the authority to teach sinners (Ps 51:15–16). Such proclamation is better than offering sacrifice (Ps 51:17–19). The last two verses express the hope that God’s good will toward those who are cleansed and contrite will prompt him to look favorably on the acts of worship offered in the Jerusalem Temple (Ps 51:19 [20–21]).
- 51:7 In sin my mother conceived me: lit., “In iniquity was I conceived,” an instance of hyperbole: at no time was the psalmist ever without sin, cf. Ps 88:15, “I am mortally afflicted since youth,” i.e., I have always been afflicted. The verse does not imply that the sexual act of conception is sinful.
- 51:9 Hyssop: a small bush whose many woody twigs make a natural sprinkler. It was prescribed in the Mosaic law as an instrument for sprinkling sacrificial blood or lustral water for cleansing, cf. Ex 12:22; Lv 14:4; Nm 19:18.
- 51:18 For you do not desire sacrifice: the mere offering of the ritual sacrifice apart from good dispositions is not acceptable to God, cf. Ps 50.
- 51:20–21 Most scholars think that these verses were added to the Psalm some time after the destruction of the Temple in 587 B.C. The verses assume that the rebuilt Temple will be an ideal site for national reconciliation.
Psalm 51
New International Version
Psalm 51
New International Version
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)
1 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)
2 Wash away(G) all my iniquity
and cleanse(H) me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.(I)
4 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)
5 Surely I was sinful(M) at birth,(N)
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom(O) in that secret place.(P)
7 Cleanse(Q) me with hyssop,(R) and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.(S)
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;(T)
let the bones(U) you have crushed rejoice.
9 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.
Footnotes
- Psalm 51:1 In Hebrew texts 51:1-19 is numbered 51:3-21.
- Psalm 51:17 Or The sacrifices of God are
Psaltaren 51
nuBibeln (Swedish Contemporary Bible)
Psaltaren 51
nuBibeln (Swedish Contemporary Bible)
Ångerpsalm; en vädjan om nåd, förlåtelse och rening
51 För körledaren. En psalm av David 2 när profeten Natan kom till honom efter att han varit tillsammans med Batseba.
3 Förbarma dig, Gud, i din nåd,
ta bort mina överträdelser i din stora barmhärtighet.
4 Rena mig från min överträdelse,
gör mig ren från all min synd.
5 Jag känner mina överträdelser,
min synd är alltid inför mig.
6 Det är mot dig, och endast mot dig, jag har syndat
och gjort det som är ont i dina ögon.
Du visar dig vara rättfärdig när du talar
och rättvis när du dömer.
7 Jag är född i synd,
i synd formades jag i min mors livmoder.
8 Du har behag till sanning i mitt inre,
så lär mig vishet i mitt innersta[a].
9 Rena mig med isop, så att jag blir ren igen.
Tvätta mig, så att jag blir vitare än snö.
10 Låt mig få höra glädje och fröjd,
låt den[b] du har krossat få jubla.
11 Göm ditt ansikte för mina synder,
och ta bort alla mina överträdelser.
12 Skapa[c] i mig ett rent hjärta, Gud,
ge mig på nytt ett stadigt sinne.
13 Förskjut mig inte ur din närhet
och ta inte din heliga Ande ifrån mig.
14 Låt mig på nytt få glädjas över din frälsning,
stöd mig och ge mig ett villigt sinne.
15 Då ska jag undervisa syndare om dina vägar,
och de ska vända om till dig.
16 Rädda mig från blodskuld, Gud, min frälsnings Gud,
Då ska jag lovsjunga din rättfärdighet.
17 Herre, öppna min mun,
jag vill sjunga ditt lov.
18 Slaktoffer behagar dig inte
om jag skulle ge dig sådana,
och brännoffer bryr du dig inte om.
19 Offret till Gud är en förkrossad ande,
och den som i sitt inre är förkrossad och bedrövad
föraktar du inte, Gud.
20 Låt det i din godhet gå väl för Sion,
och bygg upp Jerusalems murar.
21 Då kommer du att glädjas över rättfärdiga offer,
brännoffer och heloffer,
och tjurar ska offras på ditt altare.
Footnotes
- 51:8 Grundtextens innebörd är osäker; det stängda skulle vara en mer ordagrann översättning.
- 51:10 Ordagrant: de ben; ben (skelett) stod ofta för människans kropp eller person.
- 51:12 Skapa är samma verb som används t.ex. i 1 Mos 1:1 och som bara kan ha Gud som subjekt; innebörden anses ofta vara skapelse ur intet, i detta fall ber alltså psalmisten om ett totalt nytt hjärta (sinne).
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
nuBibeln (Swedish Contemporary Bible) (NUB)
Swedish Contemporary Bible (nuBibeln) Copyright © 2015 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.