Psalms 51
1
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness: according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.
2
Wash me thoroughly from my 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 mayest 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 my 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 to 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 to thee.
14
Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, 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 show 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 to 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 thy altar.
Iniquity, transgression and sin
In the Word three terms are used to refer to bad actions: transgression, iniquity, and sin. Transgression is the least bad. It means a violation of what is true in an external context, a violation of what is right and orderly. Iniquity is next and denotes acts that violate more interior truths. Sin is the worst. It is a violation of what is holy and righteous, a violation against the Lord. Sin is the deepest kind of evil. Regarding iniquity -- to be in charity, or live a life of charity is to live a life where the acts and thoughts that have top priority are those that have within them a love for the neighbor. Sometimes our love of self, our inborn desire to put ourselves first, is stronger than our charity and we do something for ourselves at the expense of our neighbor, or even do harm to our neighbor. Such an act, if our motive is selfish, is an iniquity.
(Odkazy: Arcana Coelestia 9156, 9965 [2-3])
