Psalms 51

A Prayer of Repentance

1 Show me grace, God, because of Your loyal grace; because of Your massive mercy, wipe out my wrongs.

2 Wash me completely from my sin, And clean me from my wrong.

3 Because I know my wrongs, And my sin is always in front of me.

4 Against You, You alone, I sinned, And I did what is evil in Your sight, So You are right when You speak And straight when You judge.

5 Look, I was born with messed up stuff, And in sin my mom gave birth to me.

6 Look, You want truth inside; You teach me wisdom in my secret spot.

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; Let the bones You crushed be happy.

9 Hide Your face from my sins, And wipe out all my wrongs.

A Plea for a Clean Heart

10 God, make a clean heart in me, And renew a steady spirit in me.

11 Do not throw me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Give me back the joy of Your rescue, And hold me up with a willing spirit.

13 Then I will teach the messed-up people Your ways, And sinners will come back to You.

A Promise of Praise

14 Rescue me from the guilt of murder, God, the God of my rescue; And my tongue will cheer about Your righteousness.

15 Lord, open my lips, And my mouth will tell about Your praise.

16 Because You do not want sacrifices, I would give them; You do not like burnt offerings.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and crushed heart, God, You will not look down on.

A Prayer for Zion

18 In Your favor, do good to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then You will be happy with the right sacrifices, With burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; Then they will offer bulls on Your altar.