top Psalm 50 (51)
Greek: Septuagint (LXX)
English: John Barach
Psalm 50 (51)

Heading
Εἰς τὸ τέλος· ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυίδ. ἐν τῷ ἐλθεῖν πρὸς αὐτὸν Νάθαν τὸν προφήτην, ἡνίκα εἰσῆλθεν πρὸς Βηρσαβεέ. For the end; a psalm for David; when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
The Plea for Cleansing
1 [MT=51:1] Ἐλέησόν με, ὁ θεός, κατὰ τὸ μέγα ἔλεός σου καὶ κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν σου ἐξάλειψον τὸ ἀνόμημά μου· 2 [MT=51:2] ἐπὶ πλεῖον πλῦνόν με ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνομίας μου καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας μου καθάρισόν με. 50.1 [MT=51:1] Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy; and according to the multitude of Your compassions, wipe away my lawless deed. 50.2 [MT=51:2] Wash me even more from my lawlessness, and cleanse me from my sin.
3 [MT=51:3] Ὅτι τὴν ἀνομίαν μου ἐγὼ γινώσκω, καὶ ἡ ἁμαρτία μου ἐνώπιόν μού ἐστιν διὰ παντός.1 4 [MT=51:4] σοί μόνῳ ἥμαρτον καὶ τὸ πονηρὸν ἐνώπιόν σου ἐποίησα, ὅπως ἄν δικαιωθῇς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις σου καὶ νικήσῃς ἐν τῷ κρίνεσθαί σε. 5 [MT=51:5] ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἐν ἀνομίαις συνελήμφθην, καὶ ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ἐκίσσησέν με ἡ μήτηρ μου. 50.3 [MT=51:3] For I know my lawlessness, and my sin is before me continually. 50.4 [MT=51:4] Against You only have I sinned, and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be justified in Your words and prevail when You are judged. 50.5 [MT=51:5] For behold, I was conceived in lawlessness, and in sins did my mother long for me.
The Inner Transformation
6 [MT=51:6] Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἀλήθειαν ἠγάπησας, τὰ ἄδηλα καὶ τὰ κρύφια τῆς σοφίας σου ἐδήλωσάς μοι. 7 [MT=51:7] ῥαντιεῖς με ὑσσώπῳ, καὶ καθαρισθήσομαι· πλυνεῖς με, καὶ ὑπὲρ χιόνα λευκανθήσομαι. 50.6 [MT=51:6] For behold, You loved truth; the hidden and secret things of Your wisdom You made known to me. 50.7 [MT=51:7] You shall sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed; You shall wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.
8 [MT=51:8] ἀκουτιεῖς με ἀγαλλίασιν καὶ εὐφροσύνην· ἀγαλλιάσονται ὀστᾶ τεταπεινωμένα. 9 [MT=51:9] ἀπόστρεψον τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μου καὶ πάσας τὰς ἀνομίας μου ἐξάλειψον. 50.8 [MT=51:8] You shall make me hear exultation and gladness; the humbled bones shall exult. 50.9 [MT=51:9] Turn Your face away from my sins, and wipe away all my lawless deeds.
10 [MT=51:10] καρδίαν καθαρὰν κτίσον ἐν ἐμοί, ὁ θεός, καὶ πνεῦμα εὐθὲς ἐγκαίνισον ἐν τοῖς ἐγκάτοις μου. 11 [MT=51:11] μὴ ἀπορρίψῃς με ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιόν σου μὴ ἀντανέλῃς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ. 12 [MT=51:12] ἀπόδος μοι τὴν ἀγαλλίασιν τοῦ σωτηρίου σου καὶ πνεύματι ἡγεμονικῷ στήρισόν με. 50.10 [MT=51:10] Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit within my inward parts. 50.11 [MT=51:11] Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 50.12 [MT=51:12] Restore to me the exultation of Your salvation, and support me with a governing spirit.
The Vow of the Penitent
13 [MT=51:13] Διδάξω ἀνόμους τὰς ὁδούς σου, καὶ ἀσεβεῖς ἐπὶ σὲ ἐπιστρέψουσιν. 14 [MT=51:14] ῥῦσαί με ἐξ αἱμάτων, ὁ θεὸς ὁ θεὸς τῆς σωτηρίας μου· ἀγαλλιάσεται ἡ γλῶσσά μου τὴν δικαιοσύνην σου. 15 [MT=51:15] κύριε, τὰ χείλη μου ἀνοίξεις, καὶ τὸ στόμα μου ἀναγγελεῖ τὴν αἴνεσίν σου. 50.13 [MT=51:13] I will teach the lawless Your ways, and the ungodly shall turn back to You. 50.14 [MT=51:14] Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God, the God of my salvation; my tongue shall exult in Your righteousness. 50.15 [MT=51:15] O Lord, You will open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Your praise.
16 [MT=51:16] ὅτι εἰ ἠθέλησας θυσίαν, ἔδωκα ἄν· ὁλοκαυτώματα οὐκ εὐδοκήσεις. 17 [MT=51:17] θυσία τῷ θεῷ πνεῦμα συντετριμμένον, καρδίαν συντετριμμένην καὶ τεταπεινωμένην ὁ θεὸς οὐκ ἐξουθενώσει. 50.16 [MT=51:16] For if You had desired sacrifice, I would have given it; You will not take pleasure in whole burnt offerings. 50.17 [MT=51:17] A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; a broken and humbled heart, O God, You will not despise.
Restoration of the Community
18 [MT=51:18] Ἀγάθυνον, κύριε, ἐν τῇ εὐδοκίᾳ σου τὴν Σιών, καὶ οἰκοδομηθήτω τὰ τείχη Ἱερουσαλήμ· 19 [MT=51:19] τότε εὐδοκήσεις θυσίαν δικαιοσύνης, ἀναφορὰν καὶ ὁλοκαυτώματα· τότε ἀνοίσουσιν ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριόν σου μόσχους. 50.18 [MT=51:18] Do good, O Lord, in Your good pleasure to Zion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be built. 50.19 [MT=51:19] Then You will be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, an offering and whole burnt offerings; then they shall offer calves upon Your altar.