Psalm 51
Psalm 51
1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot[1] out my transgressions.Â
2Â Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin[2].Â
3Â For I acknowledge my transgressions[3]: and my sin is ever before me.Â
4Â Against thee[4], thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight[5]: that thou mightest be justified[6] when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.Â
5Â Behold, I was shapen in iniquity[7]; and in sin did my mother conceive[8] me.Â
6Â Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.Â
7Â Purge me with hyssop,[9] and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.Â
8Â Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.Â
9Â Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.Â
10Â Create in me a clean heart[10], O God; and renew a right spirit within me.Â
11Â Cast me not away from thy presence[11]; and take not thy holy spirit[12] from me.Â
12Â Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit[13].Â
13Â Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.Â
14Â Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.Â
15Â O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.Â
16Â For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.[14]Â
17Â The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.Â
18Â Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.Â
19Â Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness[15], with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.Â
Footnotes
- â Col 2:14
- â Eze 36:25, Zec 13:1, 1 Cor 6:11, Heb 9:14, 1 Joh 1:7, Rev 1:5
- â Psa 32:5
- â Gen 39:9
- â Luk 15:21
- â Rom 3:4
- â Rom 5:12, Joh 3:6, Job 14:4
- â Notice the pro-life statement here, while some English translations (like the NIV) replace "conceive" with "gave birth to."
- â hyssop is an unidentified wild shrub whose twigs were used for sprinkling to purify.
- â Pro 20:9, Jer 13:27, Eze 11:19, Act 15:9, Eph 2:10
- â Gen 4:14
- â Eze 36:27, Rom 8:9
- â Rom 8:15, 2 Cor 3:17
- â Augustine quotes this and the following verse (51:16-17) in The City of God - Augustine refers to a "humble God."
- â Mal 3:3