Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God (2 Samuel 12:1–12)
1 UST Oh God, since you promised to faithfully love me, please act mercifully toward me. You gently love people in many ways, so please forgive me for disobeying you so badly. BSB BSB: For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. When Nathan the prophet came to him after his adultery with Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your loving devotion; according to Your great compassion, blot out my transgressions.
2 UST Remove my sin completely, as if it were dirt that you were washing off me to make me clean. BSB BSB: Wash me clean of my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
3 UST I ask this because I know that I have disobeyed you in many ways. I am continually aware of that. BSB BSB: For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
4 UST What grieves me most is how I have sinned against you. I have done things that you consider to be very wrong. So when you declare that I am guilty, you are right. When you judge me, you are completely fair. BSB BSB: Against 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.
6 UST I know that you want me to have honest intentions. You help me understand very well how to act wisely. BSB BSB: Surely You desire truth in the inmost being; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
7 UST Make me acceptable to you again, as if you were using hyssop to sprinkle water on me to purify me. Remove my sin as if it were dirt that you were washing off me. Then I will be completely pure, like snow that has just fallen. BSB BSB: Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 UST Please tell me{ that you have forgiven me}. That would make me very happy. My guilt feels like a heavy weight on me, but may I rejoice{ in your forgiveness}. BSB BSB: Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice.
9 UST Please forgive all the wrong things I have done so that it will be as if I never did them. BSB BSB: Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.
10 UST O God, please make me want to do only things that please you. Help me to be loyal to you consistently. BSB BSB: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
11 UST Please allow me to come into your presence. Please do not make your Holy Spirit leave me. BSB BSB: Cast me not away from Your presence; take not Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 UST Please save me{ from the guilt and punishment of my sin}. That will make me very happy again. Please make me eager to obey you so that I do not sin again. BSB BSB: Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit.
13 UST Please make me so obedient that I can even teach people who are doing wrong things how you want them to live instead. That way people who have been disobeying you will start obeying you again. BSB BSB: Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to You.
14 UST God, I admit that I deserve to die because I murdered someone, but please rescue me from that punishment. You can save me{ from the guilt and punishment of my sin} because you are God. When you do that, I will sing joyfully about how good you are. BSB BSB: Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness.
15 UST Lord,{ please do these things so that} I will have a reason to speak publicly and say things to praise you. BSB BSB: O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.
16 UST If you had wanted me to offer a sacrifice{ because of the sin I committed}, I would certainly have done that. But you do not accept burnt offerings{ from people who bring them to try to make things right with you after committing murder}. BSB BSB: For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You take no pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 UST What you really want is for people to pray to you in genuine humility{ and ask for forgiveness}. When a person is very sorrowful for his sin, you, God, do not reject him. BSB BSB: The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
18 UST Please regard us Israelites favorably and help us. Protect us from our enemies. BSB BSB: In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.
19 UST Then people will offer sacrifices to you for the right reasons. They will bring animals that they will burn completely as offerings to you. They will completely burn up young bulls on your altar. You will gladly accept these sacrifices. BSB BSB: Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, in whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on Your altar.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.