Psalm 15
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Psalm 15
Who Shall Abide in God’s Sanctuary?
A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, who may abide in your tent?
Who may dwell on your holy hill?
2 Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right,
and speak the truth from their heart;
3 who do not slander with their tongue,
and do no evil to their friends,
nor take up a reproach against their neighbors;
4 in whose eyes the wicked are despised,
but who honor those who fear the Lord;
who stand by their oath even to their hurt;
5 who do not lend money at interest,
and do not take a bribe against the innocent.
Those who do these things shall never be moved.
Psalm 15
Good News Translation
What God Requires[a]
15 Lord, who may enter your Temple?
Who may worship on Zion, your sacred hill?[b]
2 Those who obey God in everything
and always do what is right,
whose words are true and sincere,
3 and who do not slander others.
They do no wrong to their friends
nor spread rumors about their neighbors.
4 They despise those whom God rejects,
but honor those who obey the Lord.
They always do what they promise,
no matter how much it may cost.
5 They make loans without charging interest
and cannot be bribed to testify against the innocent.
Whoever does these things will always be secure.
Footnotes
- Psalm 15:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by David.
- Psalm 15:1 See 2.6.
Psalm 15
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
15 The inscription of a title to David himself. Preserve me, O Lord, for I have put trust in thee.
2 I have said to the Lord, thou art my God, for thou hast no need of my goods.
3 To the saints, who are in his land, he hath made wonderful all my desires in them.
4 Their infirmities were multiplied: afterwards they made haste. I will not gather together their meetings for blood offerings: nor will I be mindful of their names by my lips.
5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup: it is thou that wilt restore my inheritance to me.
6 The lines are fallen unto me in goodly places: for my inheritance is goodly to me.
7 I will bless the Lord, who hath given me understanding: moreover my reins also have corrected me even till night.
8 I set the Lord always in my sight: for he is at my right hand, that I be not moved.
9 Therefore my heart hath been glad, and my tongue hath rejoiced: moreover my flesh also shall rest in hope.
10 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; nor wilt then give thy holy one to see corruption.
11 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life, thou shalt fill me with joy with thy countenance: at thy right hand are delights even to the end.
Psalm 15
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 15[a]
The Righteous: Guests of God
1 A psalm of David.
O Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may abide on your holy mountain?[b]
2 [c]The one who leads a blameless life
and does what is right,
who speaks the truth from the heart
3 and does not slander anyone,
who does not harm a friend
and does not scorn a neighbor,
4 who looks with disdain on the wicked
but honors those who fear the Lord,
who abides by his oath,
no matter what the cost,
5 who does not charge interest on a loan
and refuses to accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
will never fall.
Footnotes
- Psalm 15:1 The psalmist presents a summary of moral conduct in the form of an instruction to those who have access to God at his temple (see Ps 24:3-6; Isa 33:14-16; Mic 6:6-8). He indicates that sanctity of life is necessary for those who wish to approach God and emphasizes the social virtues of justice and charity.
In praying this psalm, Christians keep in mind that by becoming man the Word has pitched his tent among us (see Jn 1:14), and in his body dwells the fullness of the divinity. In close contact and in profound communion with the body of Jesus, of whom she is the visible extension on earth, the Church constitutes the dwelling of God in the world (see 1 Cor 3:16f). - Psalm 15:1 Holy mountain: an ancient designation for the temple, the place where God dwells upon the earth (see Pss 2:6; 3:5; 43:3; 48:2).
- Psalm 15:2 It is not sacrifices or ritual purity but moral righteousness that gives access to the Lord (see the basic covenantal law: Ex 20:1-17; see also Isa 1:10-17; 33:14-16; 58:6-10; Jer 7:2-7; Ezek 18:5-9; Hos 6:6; Am 5:14f, 21-24; Mic 6:6-8; Zec 7:9f; 8:16f). Heart: see note on Ps 4:8. Those who fear the Lord: a frequent expression in the Psalter (see, e.g., Ps 115:11), it refers to those who fear God and live in accordance with his will because of their reverence for him. Later it will take on a technical sense and refer to proselytes to Judaism not yet circumcised (see Acts 2:11; 10:2). Interest on a loan: laws dealing with interest on loans are found in Ex 22:24-27; Lev 25:35-37; Deut 15:7-11; 23:19f. In general, interest for profit was not to be charged to Israelites. Jesus went even further (see Lk 6:34f).
Psalm 15
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Psalm 15[a]
The Righteous Israelite
1 (A)A psalm of David.
I
Lord, who may abide in your tent?[b]
Who may dwell on your holy mountain?
II
2 Whoever walks without blame,(B)
doing what is right,
speaking truth from the heart;
3 Who does not slander with his tongue,
does no harm to a friend,
never defames a neighbor;
4 Who disdains the wicked,
but honors those who fear the Lord;
Who keeps an oath despite the cost,
5 lends no money at interest,[c]
accepts no bribe against the innocent.(C)
III
Whoever acts like this
shall never be shaken.
Footnotes
- Psalm 15 The Psalm records a liturgical scrutiny at the entrance to the Temple court (cf. Ps 24:3–6; Is 33:14b–16). The Israelite wishing to be admitted had to ask the Temple official what conduct was appropriate to God’s precincts. Note the emphasis on virtues relating to one’s neighbor.
- 15:1 Your tent: the Temple could be referred to as “tent” (Ps 61:5; Is 33:20), a reference to the tent of the wilderness period and the tent of David (2 Sm 6:17; 7:2), predecessors of the Temple. Holy mountain: a venerable designation of the divine abode (Ps 2:6; 3:5; 43:3; 48:2, etc.).
- 15:5 Lends no money at interest: lending money in the Old Testament was often seen as assistance to the poor in their distress, not as an investment; making money off the poor by charging interest was thus forbidden (Ex 22:24; Lv 25:36–37; Dt 23:20).
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
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