Psalm 51

Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God

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

¹Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your steadfast love;

according to your abundant mercy

blot out my transgressions.

²Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

and cleanse me from my sin!

³For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is ever before me.

⁴Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight,

so that you may be justified in your words

and blameless in your judgment.

⁵Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

and in sin did my mother conceive me.

⁶Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,

and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

⁷Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

⁸Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones that you have broken rejoice.

⁹Hide your face from my sins,

and blot out all my iniquities.

¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.

¹¹Cast me not away from your presence,

and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

and uphold me with a willing spirit.

¹³Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

and sinners will return to you.

¹⁴Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,

O God of my salvation,

and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.

¹⁵O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will declare your praise.

¹⁶For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;

you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.

¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

¹⁸Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;

build up the walls of Jerusalem;

¹⁹then will you delight in right sacrifices,

in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;

then bulls will be offered on your altar.