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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.

Psalm 101

A Sovereign’s Pledge of Integrity and Justice

Of David. A Psalm.

I will sing of loyalty and of justice;
    to you, O Lord, I will sing.(A)
I will study the way that is blameless.
    When shall I attain it?

I will walk with integrity of heart
    within my house;(B)
I will not set before my eyes
    anything that is base.

I hate the work of those who fall away;
    it shall not cling to me.(C)
Perverseness of heart shall be far from me;
    I will know nothing of evil.(D)

One who secretly slanders a neighbor
    I will destroy.
A haughty look and an arrogant heart
    I will not tolerate.(E)

I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,
    so that they may live with me;
whoever walks in the way that is blameless
    shall minister to me.(F)

No one who practices deceit
    shall remain in my house;
no one who utters lies
    shall continue in my presence.

Morning by morning I will destroy
    all the wicked in the land,
cutting off all evildoers
    from the city of the Lord.(G)

Promised Faithfulness to the Lord

A Psalm of David.

101 I will sing of mercy and justice;
To You, O Lord, I will sing praises.

I will behave wisely in a [a]perfect way.
Oh, when will You come to me?
I will (A)walk within my house with a perfect heart.

I will set nothing [b]wicked before my eyes;
(B)I hate the work of those (C)who fall away;
It shall not cling to me.
A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will not (D)know wickedness.

Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor,
Him I will destroy;
(E)The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart,
Him I will not endure.

My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land,
That they may dwell with me;
He who walks in a [c]perfect way,
He shall serve me.
He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house;
He who tells lies shall not [d]continue in my presence.
(F)Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land,
That I may cut off all the evildoers (G)from the city of the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 101:2 blameless
  2. Psalm 101:3 worthless
  3. Psalm 101:6 blameless
  4. Psalm 101:7 Lit. be established

Psalm 101

Of David. A psalm.

I will sing of your love(A) and justice;
    to you, Lord, I will sing praise.
I will be careful to lead a blameless life(B)
    when will you come to me?

I will conduct the affairs(C) of my house
    with a blameless heart.
I will not look with approval
    on anything that is vile.(D)

I hate what faithless people do;(E)
    I will have no part in it.
The perverse of heart(F) shall be far from me;
    I will have nothing to do with what is evil.

Whoever slanders their neighbor(G) in secret,
    I will put to silence;
whoever has haughty eyes(H) and a proud heart,
    I will not tolerate.

My eyes will be on the faithful in the land,
    that they may dwell with me;
the one whose walk is blameless(I)
    will minister to me.

No one who practices deceit
    will dwell in my house;
no one who speaks falsely
    will stand in my presence.

Every morning(J) I will put to silence
    all the wicked(K) in the land;
I will cut off every evildoer(L)
    from the city of the Lord.(M)