Psalms 101
What Happens in This Chapter
This is a song of a king who promises how he will live and how he will rule. He says he will keep his own heart honest at home. He also says he will choose helpers who tell the truth, and send away people who lie, brag, or hurt others in secret.
Plain reading written for kids. Short sentences, everyday words, one idea at a time.
I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.
1I will sing about your kind love and your fair choices. I will sing to you, LORD.
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 hard about living the right way. LORD, when will you come to me? I will live at home 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 look at anything worthless. I hate what people do when they turn away from good. It will not stick to me.
"I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes" means he will not look at worthless or evil things.
4A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.
4I will send away any twisted thoughts in my heart. I will have nothing to do with evil.
5Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
5If someone says mean lies about a neighbor in secret, I will stop him. I will not put up with people who look down on others and feel proud.
"Suffer" in old English meant "put up with" or "allow." It does not mean feeling 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.
6I will look for people in the land who can be trusted. They may live with me. Whoever lives an honest life will work for me.
7He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.
7No one who tricks people will live in my house. No liar will stand in front of me.
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 remove all the wicked people from the land. I will clear every evildoer out of the LORD's city.
"Early" here means "every morning." The king is saying he will do this again and again, not just once.
← → to turn the page · P for plain English · click a verse to sit with it