A Prayer of Repentance

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

51 Have mercy upon me, O God,According to Your lovingkindness;According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,Blot out my transgressions.² Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,And cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I acknowledge my transgressions,And my sin is always before me.⁴ Against You, You only, have I sinned,And done this evil in Your sight—That You may be found just when You speak,^[a]And blameless when You judge.

⁵ Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,And in sin my mother conceived me.⁶ Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,And in the hidden part You will 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 hear joy and gladness,That the bones You have broken may rejoice.⁹ Hide Your face from my sins,And blot out all my iniquities.

¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God,And renew a steadfast spirit within me.¹¹ Do not cast me away from Your presence,And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

¹² Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.¹³ Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,And sinners shall be converted to You.

¹⁴ Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,The God of my salvation,And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.¹⁵ O Lord, open my lips,And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.¹⁶ For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;You do not delight in burnt offering.¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,A broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise.

¹⁸ Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;Build the walls of Jerusalem.¹⁹ Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.