MOF PSA Chapter 51

For the Choirmaster’s collection. A song of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had visited Bathsheba.

51 O God, as thou art kind, have mercy on me,

in thy vast pity wipe out my offences,

2 wash me from every stain of guilt,

and purge me from my sin.

3 Well do I know my offences;

my sin is never out of mind.

4 It is against thee I have sinned,

I have done evil in thy sight.

Yes, thou art just in thy charge,

and justified in thy sentence.

5 Ah! ’twas in guilt that I was born,

’twas in sin that my mother conceived me.

6 ’Tis inward truth that thou desirest,

grant me then wisdom in my secret heart.

7 Purge me clean with marjoram,

wash me whiter than snow;

8 fill me with gladness and rejoicing,

that the life thou hast crushed may thrill with joy;

9 hide thy face from my sins,

and wipe out my guilt;

10 make me a clean heart, O God,

and put a new, steadfast spirit in me;

11 banish me not from thy presence,

deprive me not of thy sacred spirit,

12 gladden me with thy saving aid again,

and give me a willing spirit as my strength,

13 that I may teach offenders how thou dealest,

till sinful men turn back to thee.

14 O God my saviour, save me from mortal sin,

and my tongue shall praise thy faithfulness aloud.

15 O thou Eternal, open thou my lips,

till my mouth makes thy praises known.

16 Thou carest not for sacrifice,

thou wouldst not have burnt offerings from me;

17 God’s sacrifice is a soul with its evil crused:

a heart broken with penitence never wilt thou despise.

18 Grant happiness to Sion

by building up Jerusalem’s walls again;

19 then wilt thou welcome the due sacrifices,

and on thine altar bullocks shall be slain.