Psalm 101

A Vow of Integrity

A psalm of David.

I will sing of faithful love and justice;
I will sing praise to you, Lord.(A)
I will pay attention to the way of integrity.
When will you come to me?
I will live with a heart of integrity in my house.(B)
I will not let anything worthless guide me.[a]
I hate the practice of transgression;
it will not cling to me.(C)
A devious heart will be far from me;
I will not be involved with[b] evil.(D)

I will destroy anyone
who secretly slanders his neighbor;(E)
I cannot tolerate anyone
with haughty eyes or an arrogant heart.(F)
My eyes favor the faithful of the land
so that they may sit down with me.
The one who follows the way of integrity
may serve me.(G)
No one who acts deceitfully
will live in my palace;
the one who tells lies
will not be retained here to guide me.[c](H)
Every morning I will destroy
all the wicked of the land,
wiping out all evildoers from the Lord’s city.(I)

Footnotes

  1. 101:3 Lit I will not put a worthless thing in front of my eyes
  2. 101:4 Lit not know
  3. 101:7 Lit be established in front of my eyes

A Promise to Rule Well

A psalm of David.

101 I will sing of your ·love [loyalty] and ·fairness [justice; judgment];
    Lord, I will ·sing praises [make a psalm] to you.
I will ·be careful to live [lead; or study] ·an innocent life [the way that is blameless].
    When will ·you [or it; C the “way that is blameless”] come to me?

I will ·live [go; walk] ·an innocent life [L in the blamelessness of my heart] in my house.
    I will not ·look at [L set before my eyes] anything ·wicked [vile].
I hate those who ·turn against you [are crooked/transgressors];
    they will not ·be found near [cling to] me.
Let those who ·want to do wrong [L have a perverse heart] stay away from me;
    I ·will have nothing to do with [L do not know] evil.
If anyone secretly ·says things against [slanders] his neighbor,
    I will ·stop [destroy; silence] him.
I will not allow people
    to ·be proud [L have broad hearts] and ·look down on others [L haughty eyes; 131:1].

·I will look for trustworthy people [L My eyes are on the faithful of the land]
    so ·I can live with them [L they may dwell with me].
Only those who ·live innocent lives [L walk in the way of blamelessness]
    will ·be my servants [L serve me].
No one who ·is dishonest [deceives] will live in my house;
    no ·liars [L one who speaks falsehoods] will ·stay around me [L be established before my eyes].
Every morning I will ·destroy [silence] all the wicked in the land.
    I will ·rid [cut off] the Lord’s city [C Jerusalem; 46:4] of people who do evil.