Psalm 51: Have Mercy Upon Me, O God Poem by King David of Israel

(When the prophet Nathan came to David after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba.)

1 Have mercy upon me, O God,
according to thy lovingkindness:
according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies
blot out my transgressions.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

11 Cast me not away from thy presence;
and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.

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

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

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

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

16 For thou desirest not sacrifice;
else would I give it:
thou delightest not in burnt offering.

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

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

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

(KJV)