Psalm 51, side by side

¹For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. When Nathan the prophet came to him after his adultery with Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your loving devotion; according to Your great compassion, blot out my transgressions.

¹Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

²Wash me clean of my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

²Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

³For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

³For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

⁴Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be proved right when You speak and blameless when You judge.

⁴Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

⁵Surely I was brought forth in iniquity; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.

⁵Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

⁶Surely You desire truth in the inmost being; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

⁶Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

⁷Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

⁷Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

⁸Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice.

⁸Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

⁹Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.

⁹Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

¹¹Cast me not away from Your presence; take not Your Holy Spirit from me.

¹¹Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

¹²Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit.

¹²Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

¹³Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to You.

¹³Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

¹⁴Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness.

¹⁴Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

¹⁵O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.

¹⁵O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

¹⁶For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You take no pleasure in burnt offerings.

¹⁶For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.

¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

¹⁸In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.

¹⁸Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

¹⁹Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, in whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on Your altar.

¹⁹Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.