Psalms
Chapter 51
1 Be kind to me, God, because of your love; because of your great compassion, wipe away my wrongdoings.
2 Clean me completely from my wrongs, and wash away all my sins.
3 I admit my wrongs, and my sin is always in my sight.
4 I have sinned only against you and done this wrong in your view: so you are right when you speak and fair when you judge.
5 I was born sinful, and my mother became pregnant with me in sin.
6 You want honesty deep inside us; in our secret hearts, you teach us wisdom.
7 Clean me with hyssop, and I will be clean: wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and happiness, so the bones you have crushed can be happy.
9 Turn away from my sins and erase all my wrongs.
10 Make my heart clean, God; and give me a new, good spirit inside.
11 Do not push me away from you; and do not take your holy spirit from me.
12 Give me back the happiness of your salvation; and support me with a generous spirit.
13 Then I will teach wrongdoers your paths, and sinners will turn back to you.
14 Save me from being guilty of causing death, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing loudly of your goodness.
15 God, open my lips; and my mouth will speak your praise.
16 You do not want sacrifices, or I would give them; you are not pleased with burnt offerings.
17 God values a broken spirit: a heart that is truly sorry, God, you will not reject.
18 Do what makes you happy for Zion: rebuild Jerusalem’s walls.
19 Then you will be happy with the right sacrifices, with burnt offerings and complete burnt offerings; then they will present bulls on your altar.