Psalms 51

1 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.

O God, be merciful to me, because you love me faithfully; because you are very merciful, erase [the record of] the ways that I disobeyed you!

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity. Cleanse me from my sin.

Make me pure from the wrong things that I have done; make me clean from [the guilt of] my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions. My sin is constantly before me.

[I say that] because I know the ways that I have disobeyed you; I cannot forget them.

4 Against you, and you only, I have sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight, so you may be proved right when you speak, and justified when you judge.

You, you only, are the one that I have [really] sinned against, and you have seen the evil things that I have done. When you say that I am guilty, you are right/correct, and when you judge me, you justly say [that I deserve to be punished].

5 Behold, I was born in iniquity. My mother conceived me in sin.

I have been a sinner since the day that I was born; [truly], I have been like that since my mother conceived me.

6 Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts. You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

What you desire is that I desire what is true in order that you [can] teach me how to act wisely.

7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Purify me from the guilt of my sins, and [after that happens], I will be clean [in my inner being]; cleanse me, and [then in my inner being] I will be (whiter than snow/very clean).

8 Let me hear joy and gladness, that the bones which you have broken may rejoice.

Allow/Cause me to be joyful [DOU] again; you have (crushed my spirit/completely discouraged me) [MTY]; [but now] let me rejoice [again].

9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all of my iniquities.

Do not continue to look at the sins [IDM] that I have committed; erase the record of the evil things that I have done.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.

O God, cause my inner being to be pure. Put new [thoughts] within me and make me faithful again.

11 Don’t throw me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

Do not send me away from you [because of my sin], and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation. Uphold me with a willing spirit.

Cause/Allow me to be happy again because of [knowing] that you have freed me [from the guilt of my sin], and make me willing [to obey you].

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways. Sinners will be converted to you.

If you do that, I will [be able to] teach [other] sinners what you want them to do, and they will repent and begin to obey you.

14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation. My tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.

O God, you are the one who saves me; forgive me for being guilty of causing someone [who was not my enemy] to die. [When you do that], I will sing joyfully about your being very good and righteous.

15 Lord, open my lips. My mouth will declare your praise.

O Yahweh, help me to speak [in order that] I may praise you.

16 For you don’t delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it. You have no pleasure in burnt offering.

You are not pleased [only] with the sacrifices [that people bring to you]. If that were [enough to] please you, I would bring you sacrifices. You are not pleased with burnt offerings [alone].

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. O God, you will not despise a broken and contrite heart.

The sacrifice that you [really] want is for people to be truly humble and sorry [for having sinned]; O God, you will not refuse that kind of sacrifice.

18 Do well in your good pleasure to Zion. Build the walls of Jerusalem.

[O God], be good to [the people who live in] Jerusalem [MTY], [and help them] to rebuild the city walls.

19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, in burnt offerings and in whole burnt offerings. Then they will offer bulls on your altar.

When that happens, [they will bring you] the proper sacrifices, animals that they will completely burn, young bulls that they will burn on your altar, and you will be pleased.