A Merciful God

Psalm 51

New King James Version (NKJV)

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

 ¹ Have mercy upon me, O God,
         According to Your lovingkindness;
         According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
         Blot out my transgressions.
 ² Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
         And cleanse me from my sin.
        
 ³ For I acknowledge my transgressions,
         And my sin is always before me.
 ⁴ Against You, You only, have I sinned,
         And done this evil in Your sight—
         That You may be found just when You speak,^[a]
         And blameless when You judge.
        
 ⁵ Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
         And in sin my mother conceived me.
 ⁶ Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
         And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
        
 ⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
         Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
 ⁸ Make me hear joy and gladness,
         That the bones You have broken may 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 steadfast spirit within me.
 ¹¹ Do not cast me away from Your presence,
         And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
        
 ¹² Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
         And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
 ¹³ Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
         And sinners shall be converted to You.
        
 ¹⁴ Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
         The God of my salvation,
         And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
 ¹⁵ O Lord, open my lips,
         And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
 ¹⁶ For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
         You do not delight in burnt offering.
 ¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
         A broken and a contrite heart—
         These, O God, You will not despise.
        
 ¹⁸ Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
         Build the walls of Jerusalem.
 ¹⁹ Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
         With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
         Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

*Photograph Copyright Rosie Harriott 2011