Psalm 101
Contemporary English Version
(A psalm by David.)
A King and His Promises
1 I will sing to you, Lord!
I will celebrate your kindness
and your justice.
2 Please help me learn
to do the right thing,
and I will be honest and fair
in my own kingdom.
3 I refuse to be corrupt
or to take part
in anything crooked,
4 and I won't be dishonest
or deceitful.
5 Anyone who spreads gossip
will be silenced;
no one who is conceited
will be my friend.
6 I will find trustworthy people
to serve as my advisors;
only an honest person
will serve as an official.
7 No one who cheats or lies
will have a position
in my royal court.
8 Each morning I will silence
any lawbreakers I find
in the countryside
or in the city of the Lord.
Psalm 101
Common English Bible
Psalm 101
Of David. A psalm.
101 Oh, let me sing about faithful love and justice!
I want to sing my praises to you, Lord!
2 I want to study the way of integrity—
how long before it gets here?
I will walk with a heart of integrity
in my own house.
3 I won’t set my eyes on anything worthless.
I hate wrongdoing;
none of that will stick to me.
4 A corrupt heart will be far from me.
I won’t be familiar with evil.
5 I will destroy anyone
who secretly tells lies about a neighbor.
I can’t stomach anyone
who has proud eyes or an arrogant heart.
6 My eyes focus on those
who are faithful in the land,
to have them close to me.
The person who walks without blame
will work for me.
7 But the person who acts deceitfully
won’t stay in my house.
The person who tells lies
won’t last for long before me.
8 Every morning I will destroy
all those who are wicked in the land
in order to eliminate all evildoers
from the Lord’s city.
Psalm 101
The Message
101 1-8 My theme song is God’s love and justice,
and I’m singing it right to you, God.
I’m finding my way down the road of right living,
but how long before you show up?
I’m doing the very best I can,
and I’m doing it at home, where it counts.
I refuse to take a second look
at corrupting people and degrading things.
I reject made-in-Canaan gods,
stay clear of contamination.
The crooked in heart keep their distance;
I refuse to shake hands with those who plan evil.
I put a gag on the gossip
who bad-mouths his neighbor;
I can’t stand
arrogance.
But I have my eye on salt-of-the-earth people—
they’re the ones I want working with me;
Men and women on the straight and narrow—
these are the ones I want at my side.
But no one who traffics in lies
gets a job with me; I have no patience with liars.
I’ve rounded up all the wicked like cattle
and herded them right out of the country.
I purged God’s city
of all who make a business of evil.
Psalm 101
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 101
A Sovereign’s Pledge of Integrity and Justice
Of David. A Psalm.
1 I will sing of loyalty and of justice;
to you, O Lord, I will sing.(A)
2 I will study the way that is blameless.
When shall I attain it?
I will walk with integrity of heart
within my house;(B)
3 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)
4 Perverseness of heart shall be far from me;
I will know nothing of evil.(D)
5 One who secretly slanders a neighbor
I will destroy.
A haughty look and an arrogant heart
I will not tolerate.(E)
6 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)
7 No one who practices deceit
shall remain in my house;
no one who utters lies
shall continue in my presence.
8 Morning by morning I will destroy
all the wicked in the land,
cutting off all evildoers
from the city of the Lord.(G)
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Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.