audio play audio stop

Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God

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

 Have mercy on me,^[a] O God,
   according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
   blot out my transgressions.
² Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
   and cleanse me from my sin!

³ For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
⁵ Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
⁶ Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken 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 right^[b] spirit within me.
¹¹ Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.

¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
¹⁴ Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
¹⁵ O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶ For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

¹⁸ Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
build up the walls of Jerusalem;
¹⁹ then will you delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 51:1 Or Be gracious to me
2. Psalm 51:10 Or steadfast

Cross references:

1. Psalm 51:1 : 2 Sam. 12:1
2. Psalm 51:1 : See Ps. 4:1
3. Psalm 51:1 : See Ps. 106:45
4. Psalm 51:1 : ver. 9; Isa. 43:25; 44:22; Acts 3:19; Col. 2:14
5. Psalm 51:2 : ver. 7; Isa. 1:16; Jer. 4:14; Mal. 3:3; Acts 22:16
6. Psalm 51:2 : Heb. 9:14; 1 John 1:7, 9; [Lev. 13:6]
7. Psalm 51:3 : Ps. 32:5; [Prov. 28:13]
8. Psalm 51:4 : Gen. 20:6; 39:9; 2 Sam. 12:13; [1 Cor. 8:12]
9. Psalm 51:4 : Luke 15:18, 21
10. Psalm 51:4 : Cited Rom. 3:4
11. Psalm 51:5 : Rom. 5:12, 19; Eph. 2:3; See Job 14:4; 15:14
12. Psalm 51:6 : Job 38:36
13. Psalm 51:7 : Ex. 12:22; Lev. 14:4; Num. 19:18; Heb. 9:19
14. Psalm 51:7 : [See ver. 2 above]; ver. 7; Isa. 1:16; Jer. 4:14; Mal. 3:3; Acts 22:16
15. Psalm 51:7 : Isa. 1:18
16. Psalm 51:8 : Ps. 35:10
17. Psalm 51:8 : Ps. 44:19; Isa. 38:13
18. Psalm 51:9 : Jer. 16:17
19. Psalm 51:9 : [See ver. 1 above]; ver. 9; Isa. 43:25; 44:22; Acts 3:19; Col. 2:14
20. Psalm 51:10 : 1 Sam. 10:9; Jer. 24:7; Ezek. 11:19; 36:26; Eph. 4:23, 24
21. Psalm 51:10 : Ps. 24:4; Matt. 5:8; Acts 15:9
22. Psalm 51:10 : Lam. 5:21
23. Psalm 51:11 : Ps. 102:10; 2 Kgs. 13:23; 17:20; 24:20; Jer. 7:15
24. Psalm 51:11 : Rom. 8:9; Eph. 4:30
25. Psalm 51:13 : [Luke 22:32]
26. Psalm 51:14 : 2 Sam. 11:17; 12:9
27. Psalm 51:14 : Ps. 24:5
28. Psalm 51:14 : Ps. 35:28; 71:8, 15, 24
29. Psalm 51:14 : [1 John 1:9]
30. Psalm 51:16 : See Ps. 40:6
31. Psalm 51:17 : See Ps. 34:18
32. Psalm 51:18 : [Ps. 69:35; 122:6]
33. Psalm 51:18 : Ps. 147:2
34. Psalm 51:19 : Ps. 4:5; [Mal. 3:3]
35. Psalm 51:19 : Deut. 33:10