1 For the end, a Psalm of David, 2 when Nathan the prophet came to him, when he had gone in to Bersabee.
3 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of thy compassions blot out my transgression. 4 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
5 For I am conscious of mine iniquity; and my sin is continually before me. 6 Against thee only have I sinned, and done evil before thee: that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. 7 For, behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins did my mother conceive me.
8 For, behold, thou lovest truth: thou hast manifested to me the secret and hidden things of thy wisdom. 9 Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be purified: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. 10 Thou shalt cause me to hear gladness and joy: the afflicted bones shall rejoice. 11 Turn away thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 12 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit in my inward parts. 13 Cast me not away from thy presence; and remove not thy Holy Spirit from me. 14 Restore to me the joy of thy salvation: establish me with thy 1directing Spirit.
15 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and ungodly men shall turn to thee. 16 Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation: and my tongue shall joyfully declare thy righteousness. 17 O Lord, thou shalt open my lips; and my mouth shall declare thy praise. 18 For if thou desiredst sacrifice, I would have given it: thou wilt not take pleasure in whole-burnt-offerings. 19 Sacrifice to God is a broken spirit: a broken and humbled heart God will not despise.
20 Do good, O Lord, to Sion in thy good pleasure; and let the walls of Jerusalem be built. 21 Then shalt thou be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, 2offering, and whole-burnt-sacrifices: then shall they offer calves upon thine altar.
About this text. This is Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 translation of the Septuagint — the Greek Old Testament the Orthodox Church reads, rather than the Hebrew text behind most English Bibles. It is in the public domain. Words in italics are ones Brenton supplied that the Greek does not have; he marked them so that a reader could tell the difference, and they are kept that way here. The numbered notes are his own. Its English is Victorian, and does not match the modern English of the New Testament pages on this site.
On the numbering. The Psalms are numbered here as the Septuagint numbers them, which is how Orthodox service books cite them. From Psalm 10 onward that is one behind a Hebrew-numbered Bible: Psalm 50 here is the Psalm 51 of most English Bibles. The Septuagint also carries a hundred and fifty-first Psalm, which those Bibles do not.