A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

Have mercy upon me, O God,
according to thy lovingkindness:
according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies
blot out my transgressions.
² Wash me throughly from mine iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I acknowledge my transgressions:
and my sin is ever before me.
⁴ Against thee,
thee only,
have I sinned,
and done this evil in thy sight:
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
and be clear when thou judgest.
⁵ Behold, I was shapen in iniquity;
and in sin did my mother conceive me.

⁶ Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts:
and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
⁷ Purge me with hyssop,
and I shall be clean:
wash me,
and I shall be whiter than snow.
⁸ Make me to hear joy and gladness;
that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
⁹ Hide thy face from my sins,
and blot out all mine iniquities.
¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God;
and renew a right spirit within me.
¹¹ Cast me not away from thy presence;
and take not thy holy spirit from me.
¹² Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
and uphold me with thy free spirit.

¹³ Then will I teach transgressors thy ways;
and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
¹⁴ Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
thou God of my salvation:
and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
¹⁵ O Lord, open thou my lips;
and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

¹⁶ For thou desirest not sacrifice;
else would I give it:
thou delightest not in burnt offering.
¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:
a broken and a contrite heart, O God,
thou wilt not despise.

¹⁸ Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion:
build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹ Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
with burnt offering and whole burnt offering:
then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

* NOTE: On Opening and Closing Comments in the Psalms.
[Some commentators take the Psalm in Habakkuk 3 to be a standard model for the Psalms.
Habakkuk's Psalm begins with the name of the composer (Habakkuk) and a musical notation ("upon Shigionoth").
It closes with a dedication or a "send to" notice ("To the chief singer on my stringed instruments").
I have arranged similar material, where it is found in the Psalter, in accord with the model in Habakkuk.]