Psalm 50 (51)

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the abundance of Your kindness cleanse my iniquity.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

Against You alone I have sinned, and before You I have done evil,

Yet You are righteous in Your words and will judge rightly.

For I was conceived in iniquity, and my mother bore me in sin.

For You have loved truth, revealing to me the hidden and secret wisdom of Yourself.

Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Grant me to hear joy and gladness; the broken bones shall rejoice.

Turn away Your face from my sins and cleanse all my iniquities.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within my innermost being.

Do not cast me away from Your face, nor withdraw Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and establish me with a victorious spirit.

I will show the transgressors Your ways, and the ungodly will turn to You.

Deliver me from the guilt of blood, O God, O God of my salvation,

And my tongue will joyfully proclaim Your righteousness.

Lord, open my wounds, and my mouth will declare Your praise.

For if You desired sacrifices, I would give them, yet burnt offerings are not dear to You.

A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a contrite and humble heart; God will not despise it.

Blessed are You, Lord, with Your favor upon Zion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be moved.

Then You will accept as a sacrifice the offering of truth, the offering and burnt offering; then they will lay a calf upon Your altar.

Note on Prayer Psalm 50:

Psalm 50 – an example of a God‑inspired prayer given to every Christian as a model of true repentance. The Church encourages reading it as often as possible.
For a better understanding of the prayer of Psalm 50, it is worth knowing:

Against You I have sinned (6) – Although David sinned concerning people, he understood that first and foremost he is guilty before God, for every neighbor is an image of the Living God.

In sins my mother bore me (7) – An allusion to the doctrine of original sin and the inheritance of human passions.

Hyssop (9) – a plant whose leaves the Jews used for sprinkling themselves with sacrificial blood.

Do not turn Your face away from me (13) – The Holy Fathers testify that when a person’s mind remains stubbornly in deceit and vanity, God will turn His face (His divine care) away from him.

I will teach the transgressors Your ways (15) – David promises God that when his sins are forgiven he will demonstrate his righteousness before others.

Deliver me from the guilt of blood (16) – refers to the blood of the man slain by David.

Some exegetes consider that the last two verses (Ps. 50:20‑21) are of later origin, because during David’s reign the walls of Jerusalem had not yet been destroyed and worship in the temple had not ceased. The condition described in the psalm could be seen during the Babylonian exile.

Source: kyrios.org.ua