Psalm 51-52

English Standard Version

Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God

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

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

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

⁷Purge me ^(M)with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
    ^(N)wash me, and I shall be ^(O)whiter than snow.
⁸Let me hear joy and gladness;
    ^(P)let the bones ^(Q)that you have broken rejoice.
⁹^(R)Hide your face from my sins,
    and ^(S)blot out all my iniquities.
¹⁰^(T)Create in me a ^(U)clean heart, O God,
    and ^(V)renew a right^[b] spirit within me.
¹¹^(W)Cast me not away from your presence,
    and take not ^(X)your Holy Spirit from me.
¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and uphold me with a willing spirit.

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

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

The Steadfast Love of God Endures

To the choirmaster. A Maskil^[c] of David, when ^(AJ)Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”

52 Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?
    The steadfast love of God endures all the day.
²Your ^(AK)tongue plots destruction,
    like ^(AL)a sharp razor, you ^(AM)worker of deceit.
³You love evil more than good,
    and ^(AN)lying more than speaking what is right. Selah
⁴You love all words that devour,
    O deceitful tongue.

⁵But God will break you down forever;
    he will snatch and ^(AO)tear you from your tent;
    he will uproot you from ^(AP)the land of the living. Selah
⁶The righteous shall ^(AQ)see and fear,
    and shall ^(AR)laugh at him, saying,
⁷“See the man who would not make
    God his refuge,
but ^(AS)trusted in the abundance of his riches
    and sought refuge in his own destruction!”^[d]

⁸But I am like ^(AT)a green olive tree
    in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
    forever and ever.
⁹I will thank you forever,
    because you have done it.
I will wait for your name, ^(AU)for it is good,
    in the presence of the ^(AV)godly.

Footnotes

Psalm 51:1 Or Be gracious to me
Psalm 51:10 Or steadfast
Psalm 52:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
Psalm 52:7 Or in his work of destruction

Psalm 51-52

New International Version

Psalm 51^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.^(A)

¹Have mercy^(B) on me, O God,
    according to your unfailing love;^(C)
according to your great compassion^(D)
    blot out^(E) my transgressions.^(F)
²Wash away^(G) all my iniquity
    and cleanse^(H) me from my sin.

³For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is always before me.^(I)
⁴Against you, you only, have I sinned^(J)
    and done what is evil in your sight;^(K)
so you are right in your verdict
    and justified when you judge.^(L)
⁵Surely I was sinful^(M) at birth,^(N)
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
⁶Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
    you taught me wisdom^(O) in that secret place.^(P)

⁷Cleanse^(Q) me with hyssop,^(R) and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.^(S)
⁸Let me hear joy and gladness;^(T)
    let the bones^(U) you have crushed rejoice.
⁹Hide your face from my sins^(V)
    and blot out^(W) all my iniquity.

¹⁰Create in me a pure heart,^(X) O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.^(Y)
¹¹Do not cast me^(Z) from your presence^(AA)
    or take your Holy Spirit^(AB) from me.
¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation^(AC)
    and grant me a willing spirit,^(AD) to sustain me.^(AE)

¹³Then I will teach transgressors your ways,^(AF)
    so that sinners^(AG) will turn back to you.^(AH)
¹⁴Deliver me^(AI) from the guilt of bloodshed,^(AJ) O God,
    you who are God my Savior,^(AK)
    and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.^(AL)
¹⁵Open my lips, Lord,^(AM)
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶You do not delight in sacrifice,^(AN) or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
¹⁷My sacrifice,^(AO) O God, is^[b] a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart^(AP)
    you, God, will not despise.

¹⁸May it please you to prosper Zion,^(AQ)
    to build up the walls of Jerusalem.^(AR)
¹⁹Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,^(AS)
    in burnt offerings^(AT) offered whole;
    then bulls^(AU) will be offered on your altar.

Psalm 52^[c]

For the director of music. A maskil^[d] of David. When Doeg the Edomite^(AV) had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”

¹Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?
    Why do you boast^(AW) all day long,^(AX)
    you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
²You who practice deceit,^(AY)
    your tongue plots destruction;^(AZ)
    it is like a sharpened razor.^(BA)
³You love evil^(BB) rather than good,
    falsehood^(BC) rather than speaking the truth.^[e]
⁴You love every harmful word,
    you deceitful tongue!^(BD)

⁵Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
    He will snatch you up and pluck^(BE) you from your tent;
    he will uproot^(BF) you from the land of the living.^(BG)
⁶The righteous will see and fear;
    they will laugh^(BH) at you, saying,
⁷“Here now is the man
    who did not make God his stronghold^(BI)
but trusted in his great wealth^(BJ)
    and grew strong by destroying others!”

⁸But I am like an olive tree^(BK)
    flourishing in the house of God;
I trust^(BL) in God’s unfailing love
    for ever and ever.
⁹For what you have done I will always praise you^(BM)
    in the presence of your faithful people.^(BN)
And I will hope in your name,^(BO)
    for your name is good.^(BP)

Footnotes

Psalm 51:1 In Hebrew texts 51:1-19 is numbered 51:3-21.
Psalm 51:17 Or The sacrifices of God are
Psalm 52:1 In Hebrew texts 52:1-9 is numbered 52:3-11.
Psalm 52:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 52:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 5.

English Standard Version (ESV)

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 51-52

English Standard Version

Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God

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

The Steadfast Love of God Endures

To the choirmaster. A Maskil^[c] of David, when ^(AJ)Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”

Footnotes

Cross references

Psalm 51-52

New International Version

Psalm 51^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.^(A)

Psalm 52^[c]

For the director of music. A maskil^[d] of David. When Doeg the Edomite^(AV) had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Psalm 51-52 English Standard Version

Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God

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

The Steadfast Love of God Endures

To the choirmaster. A Maskil[c] of David, when (AJ)Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”

Footnotes

Cross references

Psalm 51-52 New International Version

Psalm 51[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.(A)

Psalm 52[c]

For the director of music. A maskil[d] of David. When Doeg the Edomite(AV) had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Psalm 51-52

English Standard Version

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

To the choirmaster. A Maskil^[c] of David, when ^(AJ)Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”

Psalm 51-52

New International Version

Psalm 51^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.^(A)

Psalm 52^[c]

For the director of music. A maskil^[d] of David. When Doeg the Edomite^(AV) had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”