Psalm 51

¹ O God, have mercy upon me,

according to thy kindness dear:

and as thy mercies many be,

quite do thou my transgressions clear.

² From my perverseness me wash through,

and from my sin me purify.

³ For my transgressions I do know,

before me is my sin daily.

⁴ ‘Gainst thee, thee only sinn’d have I,

and done this evil in thy sight:

that when thou speak’st thee justify

men may, and judging clear thee quite.

⁵ Lo, in injustice shap’d I was:

in sin my mother conceiv’d me.

⁶ Lo, thou i’th inwards truth lov’d has:

and made me wise in secrecy.

⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I clear

shall be; me wash, and than the snow

⁸ I shall be whiter. Make me hear

joy and gladness, the bones which so

thou broken hast joy cheerly shall.

⁹ Hide from my sins thy face away

blot thou iniquities out all

which are upon me any way.

¹⁰ Create in me clean heart at last

God: a right sp’rit in me new make.

¹¹ Nor from thy presence quite me cast,

thy holy sp’rit nor from me take.

¹² Me thy salvation’s joy restore,

and stay me with thy spirit free.

¹³ I will transgressors teach thy lore,

and sinners shall be turn’d to thee.

¹⁴ Deliver me from guilt of blood,

O God, God of my health saving,

which if thou shalt vouchsafe, aloud

thy righteousness my tongue shall sing.

¹⁵ My lips do thou, O Lord, unclose,

and thy praise shall my mouth forth show.

¹⁶ For sacrifice thou hast not chose,

that I should it on thee bestow:

thou joy’st not in burnt sacrifice.

¹⁷ God’s sacrifices are a sp’rit

broken; O God, thou’ll not despise

a heart that’s broken and contrite.

¹⁸ In thy good will do thou bestow

on Zion goodness bounteously:

Jerus’lem’s walls that lie so low

do thou vouchsafe to edify.

¹⁹ Then shalt thou please to entertain

the sacrifices with content

of righteousness, the off’rings slain,

which unto thee we shall present,

together with the offering

such as in fire whole burned are:

and then they shall their bullocks bring,

off’ring to be on thine altar.