1 For the leader. A psalm of David,
2 when Natan the prophet came to him after his affair with Bat-Sheva:
3 God, in your grace, have mercy on me;
in your great compassion, blot out my crimes.
4 Wash me completely from my guilt,
and cleanse me from my sin.
5 For I know my crimes,
my sin confronts me all the time.
6 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil from your perspective;
so that you are right in accusing me
and justified in passing sentence.
7 True, I was born guilty,
was a sinner from the moment my mother conceived me.
8 Still, you want truth in the inner person;
so make me know wisdom in my inmost heart.
9 Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
10 Let me hear the sound of joy and gladness,
so that the bones you crushed can rejoice.
11 Turn away your face from my sins,
and blot out all my crimes.
12 Create in me a clean heart, God;
renew in me a resolute spirit.
13 Don’t thrust me away from your presence,
don’t take yourRuach Kodeshaway from me.
14 Restore my joy in your salvation,
and let a willing spirit uphold me.
15 Then I will teach the wicked your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
16 Rescue me from the guilt of shedding blood,
God, God of my salvation!
Then my tongue will sing
about your righteousness —
17 Adonai, open my lips;
then my mouth will praise you.
18 For you don’t want sacrifices, or I would give them;
you don’t take pleasure in burnt offerings.
19 My sacrifice to God is a broken spirit;
God, you won’t spurn a broken, chastened heart.
20 In your good pleasure, make Tziyon prosper;
rebuild the walls of Yerushalayim.
21 Then you will delight in righteous sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then they will offer bulls on your altar.