Psalms 51

1 For the Chief Musician. A psalm of David: when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness; according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

To victorie, the salm of Dauid; `whanne Nathan the prophete cam to hym, whanne he entride to Bersabee. God, haue thou merci on me; bi thi greet merci. And bi the mychilnesse of thi merciful doyngis; do thou awei my wickidnesse.

2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

More waische thou me fro my wickidnesse; and clense thou me fro my synne.

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

For Y knouleche my wickidnesse; and my synne is euere ayens me.

4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight: that thou mayest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

I haue synned to thee aloone, and Y haue do yuel bifor thee; that thou be iustified in thi wordis, and ouercome whanne thou art demed. For lo!

5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Y was conseyued in wickednessis; and my modir conceyuede me in synnes.

6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

For lo! thou louedist treuthe; thou hast schewid to me the vncerteyn thingis, and pryuy thingis of thi wisdom.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Lord, sprenge thou me with ysope, and Y schal be clensid; waische thou me, and Y schal be maad whijt more than snow.

8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

Yyue thou ioie, and gladnesse to myn heryng; and boonys maad meke schulen ful out make ioye.

9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

Turne awei thi face fro my synnes; and do awei alle my wickidnesses.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

God, make thou a clene herte in me; and make thou newe a riytful spirit in my entrailis.

11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Caste thou me not awei fro thi face; and take thou not awei fro me thin hooli spirit.

12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation: and uphold me with a free spirit.

Yiue thou to me the gladnesse of thyn helthe; and conferme thou me with the principal spirit.

13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

I schal teche wickid men thi weies; and vnfeithful men schulen be conuertid to thee.

14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation; [and] my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

God, the God of myn helthe, delyuere thou me fro bloodis; and my tunge schal ioyfuli synge thi riytfulnesse.

15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

Lord, `opene thou my lippis; and my mouth schal telle thi preysyng.

16 For thou delightest not in sacrifice; else would I give it: thou hast no pleasure in burnt offering.

For if thou haddist wold sacrifice, Y hadde youe; treuli thou schalt not delite in brent sacrifices.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

A sacrifice to God is a spirit troblid; God, thou schalt not dispise a contrit herte and `maad meke.

18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

Lord, do thou benygneli in thi good wille to Syon; that the wallis of Jerusalem be bildid.

19 Then shalt thou delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, in burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

Thanne thou schalt take plesauntli the sacrifice of riytfulnesse, offryngis, and brent sacrifices; thanne thei schulen putte calues on thin auter.