I. A TRANSLATION by Dann McCreary

To the director, a Mitzmor by David,
On the occasion when Nathan the Prophet
Came to him because he had gone unto Bath-sheba

3 Mercy me!, God, because of your loyal love,
Because of your plentiful compassion, wipe out my guilt!

4 Vigorously scrub out my crookedness,
And declare me clean of guilt,

5 Because I know my guilt,
And I'm perpetually face to face with my sin.

6 With respect to you alone I've sinned,
The evil I've done is just as You see it
So that Your words stand righteous, Your decisions pure.

7 Look! In crookedness I was brought to birth,
In guilt my mother conceived me.

8 Look! You desire inner stability;
Please instill the wisdom I need within!

9 Clean me with hyssop; I'll really be clean,
Scrub me; I'll become whiter than snow.

10 Make me hear joy and rejoicing,
They'll shout with joy! those bones You've crushed.

11 Hide Your face from my guilt,
All my crookedness - wipe it all out!

12 A clean heart - create one in me, O God!
An upright spirit - restore it within!

13 Don't drive me out of Your sight!
Don't draw Your holy breath out of me!

14 Restore the joy of Your help to me,
Support me so I can breathe easy again!

15 I will teach rebels your ways,
and sinners - to You they'll return.

16 Deliver me from blood-guilt, God, My God who helps me!
My tongue will sing Your righteousness out loud!

17 Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare Your praises!

18 Because You don't desire sacrifice, or I would give it;
You aren't pleased with burnt offering.

19 What sacrifice is acceptable to God?
To have the wind knocked out of me!
A heart broken and smashed, O God, You won't ignore.

20 Make Zion beautiful in Your good pleasure,
Build up the walls of Jerusalem!

21 Then You'll take pleasure in righteous sacrifices,
Then You'll cause the finest young bulls to go up on your altar!

II. OUTLINE

3-13 Save Me! Though I know I don't deserve it,
I need the cleansing only You can provide.

3-4 I need the cleansing only You can give.

5-7 I'm guilty from day one, and You're not.

8-13 Only when you change me will I become what You want.
(If You don't, I'll just expire)

14-15 Restore me! I'll then be able to serve and praise You!

18-21 Accept me! Now that You've changed me to the state You really desire.

18-19 The only acceptable sacrifice is a broken man.

20-21 When you do likewise for all your people,
the worship due You will be complete.

III. Theme

God's imputed and sanctifying righteousness is the only antidote
to Man's inherent and perennial sin.