The Cry of a Fallen Leader

Nathan Rebukes David

¹And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. ²The rich man had very many flocks and herds, ³but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms,1 and it was like a daughter to him. ⁴Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” ⁵Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, ⁶and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”

Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

¹Have mercy on me,1 O God,

according to your steadfast love;

according to your abundant mercy

blot out my transgressions.

²Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

and cleanse me from my sin!

³For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is ever before me.

⁴Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight,

so that you may be justified in your words

and blameless in your judgment.

⁵Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

and in sin did my mother conceive me.

⁶Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,

and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

⁷Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

⁸Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones that you have broken rejoice.

⁹Hide your face from my sins,

and blot out all my iniquities.

¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right2 spirit within me.

¹¹Cast me not away from your presence,

and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

and uphold me with a willing spirit.

¹³Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

and sinners will return to you.

¹⁴Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,

O God of my salvation,

and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.

¹⁵O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will declare your praise.

¹⁶For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;

you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.

¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

¹⁸Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;

build up the walls of Jerusalem;

¹⁹then will you delight in right sacrifices,

in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;

then bulls will be offered on your altar.