For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

• ¹Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness.
• According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.

• ²Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity.
• Cleanse me from my sin.

• ³For I know my transgressions.
• My sin is constantly before me.

• ⁴Against you, and you only, have I sinned,
• and done that which is evil in your sight;

• that you may be proved right when you speak,
• and justified when you judge.

• ⁵Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity.
• In sin my mother conceived me.

• ⁶Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts.
• You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

• ⁷Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean.
• Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

• ⁸Let me hear joy and gladness,
• That the bones which you have broken may rejoice.

• ⁹Hide your face from my sins,
• and blot out all of my iniquities.

• ¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God.
• Renew a right spirit within me.

• ¹¹Don’t throw me from your presence,
• and don’t take your holy Spirit from me.

• ¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation.
• Uphold me with a willing spirit.

• ¹³Then I will teach transgressors your ways.
• Sinners shall be converted to you.

• ¹⁴Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation.
• My tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

• ¹⁵Lord, open my lips.
• My mouth shall declare your praise.

• ¹⁶For you don’t delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it.
• You have no pleasure in burnt offering.

• ¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.
• A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

• ¹⁸Do well in your good pleasure to Zion.
• Build the walls of Jerusalem.

• ¹⁹Then you will delight in the sacrifices of righteousness,
• in burnt offerings and in whole burnt offerings.

• Then they will offer bulls on your altar.