King David’s great prayer of repentance - written after Nathan the prophet confronted him about Bathsheba - is the most personal confession in all of Scripture and the source of one of the most-searched Bible verses in the world.

Full sung version coming soon.

Lyrics

Show me your mercy, O God In the greatness of your faithful love In the fullness of your compassion Wipe away the wrongs I have done

Scrub deep the stain of all my guilt Make me clean from the sin I carry For I see the wrongs I have done My failing never leaves my sight

You, you alone, are the one I have wronged I have done what is evil before your eyes So your word stands true when you speak And your judgment is right when you weigh me From my first breath I was bent toward wrong Sin was with me at my very beginning

You long for honesty deep within You teach me wisdom in the hidden heart Touch me with hyssop and I will be pure Wash me, and I will shine past the white of fresh snow

Let me hear the sound of joy again Let the bones you crushed rise up and sing Turn your eyes away from my sins Erase the whole record of my guilt

Form in me a heart made pure, O God Settle a faithful spirit deep inside Do not drive me out from your presence And do not lift your Holy Spirit from me Give me again the gladness of your saving help

Hold me up with a willing spirit Then I will show the straying your paths And the lost will turn back to you Free me from the weight of blood I have spilled

My tongue will sing aloud of how right you are O Lord, unseal my lips And my mouth will tell out your praise For you take no delight in offerings given

The offering God receives is a spirit laid low A heart that is broken and bowed, O God, you will never refuse

Listen

Psalms 51 sung by Psalm Selah. The whole Bible, one chapter at a time.

Published 2026-05-22 · Last updated 2026-06-06
Written by Reid Wender, Editorial Director at Psalmody Press