Psalm 51 - Heartlight

¹Have mercy on me, O God,

according to Your loving devotion;

according to Your great compassion,

blot out my transgressions.

²Wash me clean of my iniquity

and cleanse me from my sin.

³For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is always before me.

⁴Against You, You only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in Your sight,

so that You may be proved right when You speak

and blameless when You judge.

⁵Surely I was brought forth in iniquity;

I was sinful when my mother conceived me.

⁶Surely You desire truth in the inmost being;

You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

⁷Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

⁸Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones You have crushed rejoice.

⁹Hide Your face from my sins

and blot out all my iniquities.

¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.

¹¹Cast me not away from Your presence;

take not Your Holy Spirit from me.

¹²Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,

and sustain me with a willing spirit.

¹³Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,

and sinners will return to You.

¹⁴Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God,

the God of my salvation,

and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness.

¹⁵O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will declare Your praise.

¹⁶For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;

You take no pleasure in burnt offerings.

¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

a broken and a contrite heart,

O God, You will not despise.

¹⁸In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper;

build up the walls of Jerusalem.

¹⁹Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices,

in whole burnt offerings;

then bulls will be offered on Your altar.

— Psalm 51

(BSB)

Related Resources from Heartlight

There are 14 resources related to this passage:

Removing the Evidence

Article by Alan Smith

Have you hidden the evidence or are you open with God? Hiding sin doesn't help anyone so let's come clean before God.

He Paid My Debt!

Article by Phillip Morrison

As children of our Father, we are called to live up to the God standard! Phillip Morrison reminds us that we are saved by grace and God expects us to be gracious.

A Spiritual MRI

Article by Max Lucado

Can I let go of my regrets, guilt, and shame? Max Lucado reminds us that we can ask God to both examine us and cleanse us; such is the grace of grace!

My One Thing!

Article by Ron Rose

The God who invented time is right here with me—in the room. Sometimes I have to take a deep breath to remember that. Ron Rose reminds us that the key to getting things done on our huge to-do list is to take it to God and then have Him help us to one thing, and do it right!

Be it Resolved!

Article by Rubel Shelly

Should we make these resolutions in the first place? Rubel Shelly resolves to live for God this year and that changes how he approaches his New Year's resolutions.

My Mistakes

Article by Paul Faulkner

How much of my mess can God actually forgive? God can forgive all of our mistakes, sins, and failiures.

A Grey Sponge or a Pure Heart

Article by Teresa Bell Kindred

Do you really want to fill your sponge with grey water? Teresa Bell Kindred compares seeing Fifty Shades of Grey to a dirty mop bucket and a sponge.

Broken Spirit

Article by Alan Smith

How good is your spirit? Alan Smith reminds us that we have to be moldable, to have a broken and contrite spirit if God is going to do anything with us.

How Beautiful

Article by Sarah Stirman

How beautiful are your hands? Sarah Stirman reminds us that when we use our hands to serve the Lord, we are seen as beautiful and he gives us strength to serve him.

What Do I Do Now?

Article by Bill Brant

Sometimes, clichés aren't enough And while David says, “My sin is always before me” (Psalm 51:2), he is also attributed as saying, “Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). If you know the story of David, his choices had consequences to the e

Real Spring Cleaning

Article by Ann Voskamp

How do you really clean house this spring? Anne Voskamp shares her insights into spring cleaning and the stress and blessing of completely cleaning ones house and heart.

Dead Wood Burning

Article by Mike Barres

Are you dead enough to catch on fire? Mike Barres challenges us to die to self so we can catch fire with the Spirit of the Lord.

Getting Our Lives on Track

Article by Bill Sherrill

Life is full of ups and downs, but God goes with us through it all! Bill Sherrill reminds us that life is full of ups and downs, good things and bad, so we need to find the good and not the bad.

A New Heart

Article by Russ Lawson

Do you want a new heart? A heart transplant reminds us that we need God's heart transplant spiritually.

Cross References for Psalm 51

Cross References Provided by Open Bible

The Berean Standard Bible

The Berean Standard Bible (BSB) is a modern, clear, and faithful translation based on the best available Greek and Hebrew manuscripts. Ideal for reading, study, and sharing, it entered the public domain in 2023. For more information, visit berean.bible.