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Psalm 50 (vulgate numbering) / 51 (Hebrew numbering)
Biblical translations
English paraphrases
- In finem. Psalmus David,
- cum venit ad eum Nathan propheta, quando intravit ad Bethsabee.
- Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam; et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum, dele iniquitatem meam.
- Amplius lava me ab iniquitate mea, et a peccato meo munda me.
- Quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco, et peccatum meum contra me est semper.
- Tibi soli peccavi, et malum coram te feci; ut justificeris in sermonibus tuis, et vincas cum judicaris.
- Ecce enim in iniquitatibus conceptus sum, et in peccatis concepit me mater mea.
- Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti; incerta et occulta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi.
- Asperges me hyssopo, et mundabor; lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor.
- Auditui meo dabis gaudium et laetitiam, et exsultabunt ossa humiliata.
- Averte faciem tuam a peccatis meis, et omnes iniquitates meas dele.
- Cor mundum crea in me, Deus, et spiritum rectum innova in visceribus meis.
- Ne projicias me a facie tua, et spiritum sanctum tuum ne auferas a me.
- Redde mihi laetitiam salutaris tui, et spiritu principali confirma me.
- Docebo iniquos vias tuas, et impii ad te convertentur.
- Libera me de sanguinibus, Deus, Deus salutis meae, et exsultabit lingua mea justitiam tuam.
- Domine, labia mea aperies, et os meum annuntiabit laudem tuam.
- Quoniam si voluisses sacrificium, dedissem utique; holocaustis non delectaberis.
- Sacrificium Deo spiritus contribulatus; cor contritum et humiliatum, Deus, non despicies.
- Benigne fac, Domine, in bona voluntate tua Sion, ut aedificentur muri Jerusalem.
- Tunc acceptabis sacrificium justitiae, oblationes et holocausta; tunc imponent super altare tuum vitulos.
- Haue mercy vpon me (o God) after thy goodnes, & acordinge vnto thy greate mercies, do awaye myne offences.
- Wash me well fro my wickednesse, & clense me fro my synne.
- For I knowlege my fautes, and my synne is euer before me.
- Agaynst the only, agaynst the haue I synned, and done euell in thy sight: that thou mightest be iustified in thy saynges, and shuldest ouercome when thou art iudged.
- Beholde, I was borne in wickednesse, and in synne hath my mother conceaued me.
- But lo, thou hast a pleasure in the treuth, and hast shewed me secrete wysdome.
- O reconcile me with Isope, and I shal be clene: wash thou me, and I shalbe whyter then snowe.
- Oh let me heare of ioye and gladnesse, that the bones which thou hast broken, maye reioyse.
- Turne thy face fro my synnes, and put out all my mysdedes.
- Make me a clene hert (o God) and renue a right sprete within me.
- Cast me not awaie from thy presence, and take not thy holy sprete fro me.
- O geue me the comforte of thy helpe agayne, and stablish me with thy fre sprete.
- Then shal I teach thy wayes vnto the wicked, that synners maye be conuerted vnto the.
- Delyuer me from bloudegyltynesse o God, thou that art the God of my health, that my tonge maye prayse thy rightuousnesse.
- Open my lippes (O LORDE) that my mouth maye shewe thy prayse.
- For yf thou haddest pleasure in sacrifice, I wolde geue it the: but thou delytest not in burntofferynges.
- The sacrifice of God is a troubled sprete, a broken and a cotrite hert (o God) shalt thou not despise.
- O be fauorable and gracious vnto Sion, that the walles of Ierusalem maye be buylded.
- For then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of rightuousnesse, with the burntofferynges and oblacions: then shal they laye bullockes vpon thine aulter.
- To him that excelleth. A Psalme of Dauid,
- when the Prophet Nathan came vnto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba. Haue mercie vpon me, O God, according to thy louing kindnes: according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities.
- Wash me throughly from mine iniquitie, and clense me from my sinne.
- For I know mine iniquities, and my sinne is euer before me.
- Against thee, against thee onely haue I sinned, and done euill in thy sight, that thou mayest be iust when thou speakest, and pure when thou iudgest.
- Beholde, I was borne in iniquitie, and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me.
- Beholde, thou louest trueth in the inwarde affections: therefore hast thou taught mee wisedome in the secret of mine heart.
- Purge me with hyssope, & I shalbe cleane: wash me, and I shalbe whiter then snowe.
- Make me to heare ioye and gladnes, that the bones, which thou hast broken, may reioyce.
- Hide thy face from my sinnes, and put away all mine iniquities.
- Create in mee a cleane heart, O God, and renue a right spirit within me.
- Cast mee not away from thy presence, and take not thine holy Spirit from me.
- Restore to me the ioy of thy saluation, and stablish me with thy free Spirit.
- Then shall I teache thy wayes vnto the wicked, and sinners shalbe conuerted vnto thee.
- Deliuer me from blood, O God, which art the God of my saluation, and my tongue shall sing ioyfully of thy righteousnes.
- Open thou my lippes, O Lorde, and my mouth shall shewe foorth thy praise.
- For thou desirest no sacrifice, though I would giue it: thou delitest not in burnt offering.
- The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit: a contrite and a broken heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
- Bee fauourable vnto Zion for thy good pleasure: builde the walles of Ierusalem.
- Then shalt thou accept ye sacrifices of righteousnes, euen the burnt offering and oblation: then shall they offer calues vpon thine altar.
- Unto the end, a psalm of David,
- When Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had sinned with Bethsabee. [2 Kings 12.]
- Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy
great mercy. And according to the multitude of
thy tender mercies blot out my iniquity.
- Wash me yet more from my iniquity, and
cleanse me from my sin.
- For I know my iniquity, and my sin is always
before me.
- To thee only have I sinned, and have done
evil befoer thee: that thou mayst be justified in
thy words, and mayst overcome when thou art
judged.
- For behold I was conceived in iniquities; and
in sins did my mother conceive me.
- For behold thou hast loved truth: the uncertain and hidden things of thy wisdom thou hast
made manifest to me.
- Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I
shall be cleansed: thou shalt wash me, and I shall
be made whiter than snow.
- To my hearing thou shalt give joy and gladness: and the bones that have been humbled
shall rejoice.
- Tukrn away thy face from my sins, and blot
out all my iniquities.
- Create a clean heart in me, O God: and
renew a right spirit within my bowels.
- Cast me not away from thy face; and take
not thy holy spirit from me.
- Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation,
and strengthen me with a perfect spirit.
- I will teach the unjust thy ways: and the
wicked shall be converted to thee.
- Deliver me from blood, O God, thou God
of my salvation: and my tongue shall extol thy
justice.
- O Lord, thou wilt open my lips: and my
mouth shall declare thy praise.
- For if thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would
indeed have given it: with burnt offerings thou
wilt not be delighted.
- A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit: a
contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt
not despise.
- Deal favourably, O Lord, in thy good will
with Sion; that the walls of Jerusalem may be
built up.
- Then shalt thou accept the sacrifice of justice, oblations and whole burnt offerings: then
shall they lay calves upon thy altar.
- [To the chiefe Musician. A Psalme of Dauid, when Nathan the Prophet came vnto him, after hee had gone in to Bath-sheba.] Haue mercie vpon mee, O God, according to thy louing kindnesse: according vnto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
- Wash mee throughly from mine iniquitie, and clense me from my sinne.
- For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sinne is euer before mee.
- Against thee, thee onely haue I sinned, and done this euill in thy sight: that thou mightest bee iustified when thou speakest, and be cleare when thou iudgest.
- Behold, I was shapen in iniquitie: and in sinne did my mother conceiue me.
- Behold, thou desirest trueth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisedome.
- Purge me with hyssope, and I shalbe cleane: wash me, and I shall be whiter then snow.
- Make mee to heare ioy and gladnesse: that the bones which thou hast broken, may reioyce.
- Hide thy face from my sinnes; and blot out all mine iniquities.
- Create in mee a cleane heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within mee.
- Cast mee not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy Spirit from me.
- Restore vnto me the ioy of thy saluation: and vphold mee with thy free Spirit.
- Then will I teach transgressours thy wayes, and sinners shalbe conuerted vnto thee.
- Deliuer mee from blood-guiltinesse, O God, thou God of my saluation: and my tongue shall sing alowd of thy righteousnesse.
- O Lord open thou my lips, and my mouth shall shew foorth thy praise.
- For thou desirest not sacrifice: else would I giue it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
- The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
- Doe good in thy good pleasure vnto Sion: build thou the walles of Ierusalem.
- Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousnesse, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullockes vpon thine altar.
1. O Lord, whose grace no limits comprehend;
Sweet Lord, whose mercies stand from measure free;
To me that grace, to me that mercy send,
And wipe, O Lord, my sins from sinful me.
Oh, cleanse, oh, wash, my foul iniquity;
Cleanse still my spots, still wash away my stainings,
Till stains and spots in me leave no remainings.
2. For I, alas, acknowledging do know
My filthy fault, my faulty filthiness
To my soul’s eye incessantly doth show,
Which done to thee, to thee I do confess,
Just judge, true witness, that for righteousness
Thy doom may pass against my guilt awarded,
Thy evidence for truth may be regarded.
3. My mother, lo, when I began to be,
Conceiving me, with me did sin conceive:
And as with living heat she cherished me,
Corruption did like cherishing receive.
But, lo, thy love to purest good doth cleave,
And inward truth: which, hardly else discerned,
My truant soul in thy hid school hath learned.
4. Then as thyself to lepers hast assigned,
With hyssop, Lord, thy hyssop, purge me so:
And that shall cleanse the lepry of my mind.
Make over me thy mercy’s streams to flow,
So shall my whiteness scorn the whitest snow.
To ear and heart send sounds and thoughts of gladness,
That bruised bones may dance away their sadness.
5. Thy ill-pleased eye from my misdeeds avert:
Cancel the registers my sins contain:
Create in me a pure, clean, spotless heart;
Inspire a sprite where love of right may reign
Ah, cast me not from thee; take not again
Thy breathing grace; again thy comfort send me,
And let the guard of thy free sprite attend me.
6. So I to them a guiding hand will be,
Whose faulty feet have wandered from thy way,
And turned from sin will make return to thee,
Whom turned from thee sin erst had led astray.
O God, God of my health, oh, do away
My bloody crime: so shall my tongue be raised
To praise thy truth, enough cannot be praised.
7. Unlock my lips, shut up with sinful shame:
Then shall my mouth, O Lord, thy honor sing.
For bleeding fuel for thy altar’s flame,
To gain thy grace what boots it me to bring?
Burt-off’rings are to thee no pleasant thing.
The sacrifice that God will hold respected,
Is the heart-broken soul, the sprite dejected.
8. Lastly, O Lord, how so I stand or fall,
Leave not thy loved Zion to embrace;
But with thy favor build up Salem’s wall,
And still in peace, maintain that peaceful place.
Then shalt thou turn a well-accepting face
To sacred fires with offered gifts perfumed:
Till ev’n whole calves on altars be consumed.
Haue mercy, God, for thy great mercies sake.
O God: my God, vnto my shame I say,
Beynge fled from thee, so as I dred to take
Thy name in wretched mouth, and feare to pray
Or aske the mercy that I haue abusde.
But, God of mercy, let me come to thee:
Not for iustice, that iustly am accusde:
Which selfe word Iustice so amaseth me,
That scarce I dare thy mercy sound againe.
But mercie, Lord, yet suffer me to craue.
Mercie is thine: Let me not crye in vaine,
Thy great mercie for my great fault to haue.
Haue mercie, God, pitie my penitence
With greater mercie than my great offence.
My many sinnes in nomber are encreast,
With weight wherof in sea of depe despeire
My sinking soule is now so sore opprest,
That now in peril and in present fere,
I crye: susteine me, Lord, and Lord I pray,
With endlesse nomber of thy mercies take
The endlesse nomber of my sinnes away.
So by thy mercie, for thy mercies sake,
Rue on me, Lord, releue me with thy grace.
My sinne is cause that I so nede to haue
Thy mercies ayde in my so woefull case:
My synne is cause that scarce I dare to craue
Thy mercie manyfolde, which onely may
Releue my soule, and take my sinnes away.
So foule is sinne and lothesome in thy sighte,
So foule with sinne I see my selfe to be,
That till from sinne I may be washed white,
So foule I dare not, Lord, approche to thee.
Ofte hath thy mercie washed me before,
Thou madest me cleane: but I am foule againe.
Yet washe me Lord againe, and washe me more.
Washe me, O Lord, and do away the staine
Of vggly sinnes that in my soule appere.
Let flow thy ple[n]tuous streames of clensing grace.
Washe me againe, yea washe me euery where,
Bothe leprous bodie and defiled face.
Yea washe me all, for I am all vncleane,
And from my sin, Lord, cleanse me ones againe.
Haue mercie, Lord, haue mercie: for I know
How muche I nede thy mercie in this case.
The horror of my gilt doth dayly growe,
And growing weares my feble hope of grace.
I fele and suffer in my thralled brest
Secret remorse and gnawing of my hart.
I fele my sinne, my sinne that hath opprest
My soule with sorrow and surmounting smart.
Drawe me to mercie: for so oft as I
Presume to mercy to direct my sight,
My Chaos and my heape of sinne doth lie,
Betwene me and thy mercies shining light.
What euer way I gaze about for grace,
My filth and fault are euer in my face.
Graunt thou me mercy, Lord: thee thee alone
I haue offended, and offendyng thee,
For mercy loe, how I do lye and grone.
Thou with allpearcing eye beheldest me,
Without regard that sinned in thy sight.
Beholde againe, how now my spirite it rues,
And wailes the tyme, when I with foule delight
Thy swete forbearing mercy did abuse.
My cruell conscience with sharpned knife
Doth splat my ripped hert, and layes abrode
The lothesome secretes of my filthy life,
And spredes them forth before the face of God.
Who[m] shame fro[m] dede shamelesse cold not restrain,
Shame for my dede is added to my paine.
But mercy Lord, O Lord some pitie take,
Withdraw my soule from the deserued hell,
O Lord of glory, for thy glories sake:
That I may saued of thy mercy tell,
And shew how thou, which mercy hast behight
To sighyng sinners, that haue broke thy lawes,
Performest mercy: so as in the sight
Of them that iudge the iustice of thy cause
Thou onely iust be demed, and no moe,
The worldes vniustice wholy to confound:
That damning me to depth of during woe
Iust in thy iudgement shouldest thou be found:
And from deserued flames releuyng me
Iust in thy mercy mayst thou also be.
For lo, in sinne, Lord, I begotten was,
With sede and shape my sinne I toke also,
Sinne is my nature and my kinde alas,
In sinne my mother me conceiued: Lo
I am but sinne, and sinfull ought to dye,
Dye in his wrath that hath forbydden sinne.
Such bloome and frute loe sinne doth multiplie,
Such was my roote, such is my iuyse within.
I plead not this as to excuse my blame,
On kynde or parentes myne owne gilt to lay:
But by disclosing of my sinne, my shame,
And nede of helpe, the plainer to displaye
Thy mightie mercy, if with plenteous grace
My plenteous sinnes it please thee to deface.
Thou louest simple sooth, not hidden face
With trutheles visour of deceiuing showe.
Lo simplie, Lord, I do confesse my case,
And simplie craue thy mercy in my woe.
This secrete wisedom hast thou graunted me,
To se my sinnes, & whence my sinnes do growe:
This hidden knowledge haue I learnd of thee,
To fele my sinnes, and howe my sinnes do flowe
With such excesse, that with vnfained hert,
Dreding to drowne, my Lorde, lo howe I flee,
Simply with teares bewailyng my desert,
Releued simply by thy hand to be.
Thou louest truth, thou taughtest me the same.
Helpe, Lord of truth, for glory of thy name.
With swete Hysope besprinkle thou my sprite:
Not such hysope, nor so besprinkle me,
As law vnperfect shade of perfect lyght
Did vse as an apointed signe to be
Foreshewing figure of thy grace behight.
With death and bloodshed of thine only sonne,
The swete hysope, cleanse me defyled wyght,
Sprinkle my soule. And when thou so haste done,
Bedeawd with droppes of mercy and of grace,
I shalbe cleane as cleansed of my synne.
Ah wash me, Lord: for I am foule alas:
That only canst, Lord, wash me well within,
Wash me, O Lord: when I am washed soe,
I shalbe whiter than the whitest snowe.
Long haue I heard, & yet I heare the soundes
Of dredfull threates and thonders of the law,
Which Eccho of my gylty minde resoundes,
And with redoubled horror doth so draw
My listening soule from mercies gentle voice,
That louder, Lorde, I am constraynde to call:
Lorde, pearce myne eares, & make me to reioyse,
When I shall heare, and when thy mercy shall
Sounde in my hart the gospell of thy grace.
Then shalt thou geue my hearing ioy againe,
The ioy that onely may releue my case.
And then my broosed bones, that thou with paine
Hast made to weake my febled corps to beare,
Shall leape for ioy, to shewe myne inward chere.
Loke on me, Lord: though tre[m]bling I beknowe,
That sight of sinne so sore offendeth thee,
That seing sinne, how it doth ouerflowe
My whelmed soule, thou canst not loke on me,
But with disdaine, with horror and despite.
Loke on me, Lord: but loke not on my sinne.
Not that I hope to hyde it from thy sight,
Which seest me all without and eke within.
But so remoue it from thy wrathfull eye,
And from the iustice of thyne angry face,
That thou impute it not. Looke not how I
Am foule by sinne: but make me by thy grace
Pure in thy mercies sight, and, Lord, I pray,
That hatest sinne, wipe all my sinnes away.
Sinne and despeir haue so possest my hart,
And hold my captiue soule in such restraint,
As of thy mercies I can fele no part,
But still in languor do I lye and faint.
Create a new pure hart within my brest:
Myne old can hold no liquour of thy grace.
My feble faith with heauy lode opprest
Staggring doth scarcely creepe a reeling pace,
And fallen it is to faint to rise againe.
Renew, O Lord, in me a constant sprite,
That stayde with mercy may my soule susteine,
A sprite so setled and so firmely pight
Within my bowells, that it neuer moue,
But still vphold thassurance of thy loue.
Loe prostrate, Lorde, before thy face I lye,
With sighes depe drawne depe sorow to expresse.
O Lord of mercie, mercie do I crye:
Dryue me not from thy face in my distresse,
Thy face of mercie and of swete relefe,
The face that fedes angels with onely sight,
The face of comfort in extremest grefe.
Take not away the succour of thy sprite,
Thy holy sprite, which is myne onely stay,
The stay that when despeir assaileth me,
In faintest hope yet moueth me to pray,
To pray for mercy, and to pray to thee.
Lord, cast me not from presence of thy face,
Nor take from me the spirite of thy grace.
But render me my wonted ioyes againe,
Which sinne hath reft, and planted in theyr place
Doubt of thy mercy ground of all my paine.
The tast, that thy loue whilome did embrace
My chearfull soule, the signes that dyd assure
My felyng ghost of fauor in thy sight,
Are fled from me, and wretched I endure
Senslesse of grace the absence of thy sprite.
Restore my ioyes, and make me fele againe
The swete retorne of grace that I haue lost,
That I may hope I pray not all in vayne.
With thy free sprite confirme my feble ghost,
To hold my faith from ruine and decay
With fast affiance and assured stay.
Lord, of thy mercy if thou me withdraw
From gaping throte of depe deuouring hell,
Loe, I shall preach the iustice of thy law:
By mercy saued, thy mercy shall I tell.
The wicked I wyll teache thyne only way,
Thy wayes to take, and mans deuise to flee,
And suche as lewd delight hath ledde astray,
To rue theyr errour and returne to thee.
So shall the profe of myne example preache
The bitter frute of lust and foule delight:
So shall my pardon by thy mercy teache
The way to finde swete mercy in thy sight.
Hyue mercy, Lorde, in me example make
Of lawe and mercy, for thy mercies sake.
O God, God of my health, my sauing God,
Haue mercy Lord, and shew thy might to saue,
Assoile me, God, from gilt of giltlesse blod,
And eke from sinne that I ingrowing haue
By fleshe and bloud and by corrupted kinde.
Vpon my bloud and soule extende not, Lorde,
Vengeance for bloud, but mercy let me finde,
And strike me not with thy reuengyng sworde.
So, Lord, my ioying tong shall talke thy praise,
Thy name my mouth shall vtter in delight,
My voice shall sounde thy iustice, and thy waies,
Thy waies to iustifie thy sinfull wight.
God of my health, from bloud I saued so
Shall spred thy prayse for all the world to know.
Lo straining crampe of colde despeir againe
In feble brest doth pinche my pinyng hart,
So as in greatest nede to cry and plaine
My speache doth faile to vtter thee my smart.
Refreshe my yeldyng hert, with warming grace,
And loose my speche, and make me call to thee.
Lord open thou my lippes to shewe my case,
My Lord, for mercy Loe to thee I flee.
I can not pray without thy mouyng ayde,
Ne can I ryse, ne can I stande alone.
Lord, make me pray, & grau[n]t whe[n] I haue praide,
Lord loose my lippes, I may expresse my mone,
And findyng grace with open mouth I may
Thy mercies praise, and holy name display.
Thy mercies praise, instede of sacrifice,
With thankfull rninde so shall I yeld to thee.
For if it were delitefull in thine eyes,
Or hereby mought thy wrath appeased be,
Of cattell slayne and burnt with sacred flame
Vp to the heauen the vaprie smoke to send:
Of gyltlesse beastes, to purge my gilt and blame,
On altars broylde the sauour shold ascend,
To pease thy wrath. But thy swete sonne alone,
With one sufficing sacrifice for all
Appeaseth thee, and maketh the at one
With sinfull man, and hath repaird our fall.
That sacred hoste is euer in thine eyes.
The praise of that I yeld for sacrifice.
I yeld my self, I offer vp my ghoste,
My slayne delightes, my dyeng hart to thee.
To God a trobled sprite is pleasing hoste.
My trobled sprite doth drede like him to be,
In whome tastlesse languor with lingring paine
Hath febled so the starued appetite,
That foode to late is offred all in vaine,
To holde in fainting corps the fleing sprite.
My pining soule for famine of thy grace
So feares alas the faintnesse of my faithe.
I offre vp my trobled sprite: alas,
My trobled sprite refuse not in thy wrathe.
Such offring likes thee, ne wilt thou despise
The broken humbled hart in angry wise.
Shew mercie, Lord, not vnto me alone:
But stretch thy fauor and thy pleased will,
To sprede thy bountie and thy grace vpon
Sion, for Sion is thy holly hyll:
That thy Hierusalem with mighty wall
May be enclosed vnder thy defense,
And bylded so that it may neuer fall
By myning fraude or mighty violence.
Defend thy chirch, Lord, and aduaunce it soe,
So in despite of tyrannie to stand,
That tre[m]bling at thy power the world may know
It is vpholden by thy mighty hand:
That Sion and Hierusalem may be
A safe abode for them that honor thee.
Then on thy hill, and in thy walled towne,
Thou shalt receaue the pleasing sacrifice,
The brute shall of thy praised name resoune
In thankfull mouthes, and then with gentle eyes
Thou shalt behold vpon thine altar lye
Many a yelden host of humbled hart,
And round about then shall thy people crye:
We praise thee, God our God: thou onely art
The God of might, of mercie, and of grace.
That I then, Lorde, may also honor thee,
Releue my sorow, and my sinnes deface:
Be, Lord of mercie, mercifull to me:
Restore my feling of thy grace againe:
Assure my soule, I craue it not in vaine.
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