Psalms
Chapter 101
This psalm is a king's promise about how he will live and whom he will keep near him. He pledges to walk with an honest heart in his own house, to refuse anything worthless, and to have nothing to do with liars, proud people, and those who slander in secret. Faithful people will live with him and serve him, while he clears wrongdoers out of the land and out of the LORD's city.
Plain reading written for preteens. Clear and complete, at about a fifth grade reading level.
I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.
1I will sing about faithful love and about justice. LORD, I will sing to you.
2I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
2I will think carefully about how to live a blameless life. When will you come to me? I will walk through my own house with an honest heart.
3I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
3I will not set anything worthless in front of my eyes. I hate what people do when they turn away from what is right. It will not stick to me.
4A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.
4A twisted heart will stay far away from me. I will have nothing to do with evil.
"Froward" in the KJV does not mean forward. It means twisted or crooked, the opposite of honest.
5Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
5Whoever tells secret lies about a neighbor, I will silence. I will not put up with proud eyes and a proud heart.
"Privily" means secretly. "Suffer" here means put up with or allow, not feel pain.
6Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.
6My eyes will look with favor on the faithful people of the land, so they can live with me. Whoever lives an honest life will serve me.
7He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.
7No one who cheats will live in my house. No one who tells lies will stay where I can see him.
8I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD.
8Every morning I will clear all the wicked out of the land. I will remove every person who does evil from the LORD's city.
"Early" here does not mean soon. It means each morning, the time when a king heard cases and gave rulings.
← → to turn the page · P for plain English · click a verse to sit with it