Apparently, David Ha’Melech is addressing two forms of sin or two different sinners. Klal Yisrael was guilty of two egregious sins during their journey in the wilderness. They sinned with the Golden Calf, and they sinned again when they reacted negatively to the evil report rendered by the spies. While it was the spies that slandered the Holy Land, the fact that the people believed them, rather than trust Hashem, was, in and of itself, a grave sin. Then they added to their evil with their unwarranted weeping and declaration of their desire to appoint a new leader who would take them back to Egypt. In both cases, Moshe Rabbeinu invoked Hashem’s Divine Mercy, and the Almighty replied affirmatively. The sinners were not pardoned. They received their due punishment. Nonetheless, Hashem nosei, forgave, but actually carried (naso means to lift up, to carry) their sin. This gives us insight into the level of forgiveness that we receive. The flaw remains; the sin is still present, but Hashem forgives us.
