Psalm 51

Complete Jewish Bible

51 ⁽⁰⁾For the leader. A psalm of David, ²when Natan the prophet came to him after his affair with Bat-Sheva:

³⁽¹⁾God, in your grace, have mercy on me;
in your great compassion, blot out my crimes.
⁴⁽²⁾Wash me completely from my guilt,
and cleanse me from my sin.
⁵⁽³⁾For I know my crimes,
my sin confronts me all the time.

⁶⁽⁴⁾Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil from your perspective;
so that you are right in accusing me
and justified in passing sentence.

⁷⁽⁵⁾True, I was born guilty,
was a sinner from the moment my mother conceived me.
⁸⁽⁶⁾Still, you want truth in the inner person;
so make me know wisdom in my inmost heart.

⁹⁽⁷⁾Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
¹⁰⁽⁸⁾Let me hear the sound of joy and gladness,
so that the bones you crushed can rejoice.
¹¹⁽⁹⁾Turn away your face from my sins,
and blot out all my crimes.

¹²⁽¹⁰⁾Create in me a clean heart, God;
renew in me a resolute spirit.
¹³⁽¹¹⁾Don’t thrust me away from your presence,
don’t take your Ruach Kodesh away from me.
¹⁴⁽¹²⁾Restore my joy in your salvation,
and let a willing spirit uphold me.
¹⁵⁽¹³⁾Then I will teach the wicked your ways,
and sinners will return to you.

¹⁶⁽¹⁴⁾Rescue me from the guilt of shedding blood,
God, God of my salvation!
Then my tongue will sing
about your righteousness —
¹⁷⁽¹⁵⁾Adonai, open my lips;
then my mouth will praise you.

¹⁸⁽¹⁶⁾For you don’t want sacrifices, or I would give them;
you don’t take pleasure in burnt offerings.
¹⁹⁽¹⁷⁾My sacrifice to God is a broken spirit;
God, you won’t spurn a broken, chastened heart.
²⁰⁽¹⁸⁾In your good pleasure, make Tziyon prosper;
rebuild the walls of Yerushalayim.
²¹⁽¹⁹⁾Then you will delight in righteous sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then they will offer bulls on your altar.

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.

³For 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.
⁶Behold, 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.
⁸Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken ^(J)may rejoice.
⁹Hide 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.
¹¹Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your ^(L)Holy Spirit from me.

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

¹⁴Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
¹⁵O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
¹⁶For ^(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.

¹⁸Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹Then 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

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)

¹Have mercy^(B) on me, O God,
    according to your unfailing love;^(C)
according to your great compassion^(D)
    blot out^(E) my transgressions.^(F)
²Wash away^(G) all my iniquity
    and cleanse^(H) me from my sin.

³For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is always before me.^(I)
⁴Against 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)
⁵Surely I was sinful^(M) at birth,^(N)
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
⁶Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
    you taught me wisdom^(O) in that secret place.^(P)

⁷Cleanse^(Q) me with hyssop,^(R) and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.^(S)
⁸Let me hear joy and gladness;^(T)
    let the bones^(U) you have crushed rejoice.
⁹Hide your face from my sins^(V)
    and blot out^(W) all my iniquity.

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

¹³Then I will teach transgressors your ways,^(AF)
    so that sinners^(AG) will turn back to you.^(AH)
¹⁴Deliver 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)
¹⁵Open my lips, Lord,^(AM)
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶You do not delight in sacrifice,^(AN) or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
¹⁷My sacrifice,^(AO) O God, is^[b] a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart^(AP)
    you, God, will not despise.

¹⁸May it please you to prosper Zion,^(AQ)
    to build up the walls of Jerusalem.^(AR)
¹⁹Then 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

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

Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

New King James Version (NKJV)

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 51

Complete Jewish Bible

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.

Footnotes

Cross references

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)

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Psalm 51 Complete Jewish Bible

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.

Footnotes

Cross references

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)

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Psalm 51

Complete Jewish Bible

Psalm 51

New King James Version

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

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)