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.

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 thoroughly from my iniquity. Cleanse me from my sin.

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

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

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

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.

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 born in iniquity. My mother conceived me in sin.

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

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

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

7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will 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 Let me hear joy and gladness, that the bones which you have broken may rejoice.

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

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

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

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. 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 Don’t throw me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

16 For you don’t delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it. You have 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. O God, you will not despise a broken and contrite heart.

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

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

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

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.

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