To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the Prophet came in to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
1Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness;
according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
3For I acknowledge my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned,
and done this evil in Thy sight,
that Thou mightest be justified when Thou speakest,
and be clear when Thou judgest.
5Behold, I was shapen in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6Behold, Thou desirest truth in the inward parts,
and in the hidden part Thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8Make me to hear joy and gladness,
that the bones which Thou hast broken may rejoice.
9Hide Thy face from my sins,
and blot out all mine iniquities.
10Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
11Cast me not away from Thy presence,
and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
12Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation,
and uphold me with Thy free Spirit.
13Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways,
and sinners shall be converted unto Thee.
14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation,
and my tongue shall sing aloud of Thy righteousness.
15O Lord, open Thou my lips,
and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise.
16For Thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I give it;
Thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.
18Do good in Thy good pleasure unto Zion;
build Thou the walls of Jerusalem.
19Then shalt Thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
with burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
then shall they offer bullocks upon Thine altar.
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, both now and ever,
and unto ages of ages. Amen.
1Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy | lov- ( ing- ) kindness;*
according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out | my trans- ( gres- ) sions.
2Wash me thoroughly from | mine ( iniq- ) uity,*
and | cleanse me ( from my ) sin.
3For I acknowledge | my ( trans- ) gressions,*
and my sin is ev- | er be- ( fore ) me.
4Against Thee, Thee | on- ( ly, have ) I sinned,*
and done this | evil ( in Thy ) sight,
that Thou mightest be justified | when ( Thou ) speakest,*
and be clear | when Thou ( judg- ) est.
5Behold, I was shapen | in ( iniq- ) uity,*
and in sin did my moth- | er con- ( ceive ) me.
6Behold, Thou desirest truth | in ( the in- ) ward parts,*
and in the hidden part Thou shalt make me | to know ( wis- ) dom.
7Purge me with hyssop, and | I ( shall ) be clean;*
wash me, and I shall be | whiter ( than ) snow.
8Make me to hear | joy ( and ) gladness,*
that the bones which Thou hast | broken ( may re- ) joice.
9Hide Thy | face ( from ) my sins,*
and blot out all | mine in- ( iqui- ) ties.
10Create in me a | clean ( heart, ) O God,*
and renew a right spir- | it with- ( in ) me.
11Cast me not away | from ( Thy ) presence,*
and take not Thy Holy | Spirit ( from ) me.
12Restore unto me the joy of | Thy ( sal- ) vation,*
and uphold me with | Thy free ( Spir- ) it.
13Then will I teach trans- | gres- ( sors ) Thy ways,*
and sinners shall be con- | verted ( unto ) Thee.
14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, Thou God of | my ( sal- ) vation,*
and my tongue shall sing aloud | of Thy ( righteous- ) ness.
15O Lord, | op- ( en Thou ) my lips,*
and my mouth | shall show ( forth Thy ) praise.
16For Thou desirest not sacrifice, else | would ( I ) give it;*
Thou delightest not | in burnt ( offer- ) ing.
17The sacrifices of God are a | brok- ( en ) spirit;*
a broken and a contrite heart, O God, | Thou wilt ( not de- ) spise.
18Do good in Thy good pleasure | un- ( to ) Zion;*
build Thou the walls | of Je- ( rusa- ) lem.
19Then shalt Thou be pleased with the sacrifices of right- | eousness,†
with burnt offering and | whole ( burnt of- ) fering;*
then shall they offer bullocks up- | on Thine ( al- ) tar.
and to the | Holy ( Spir- ) it;
as it was in the beginning, both | now ( and ) ever,*
and unto ages of | ages. ( A- ) men.
The 51st Psalm is sung as the First Psalm at Lauds daily, except on Sundays. It is the basis of Erhart Hegenwalt’s 1524 hymn, “Have Mercy on Me, Lord My God” (“Erbarm dich mein, o Herre Gott“), which appeared in many of the earliest Lutheran hymnals.