Psalm 101

¹I will sing about loyalty and justice!

To you, O Lord , I will sing praises!

²I will walk in the way of integrity.[#tn Heb “take notice of.”]

When will you come to me?

I will conduct my business with integrity in the midst of my palace.

³I will not even consider doing what is dishonest.[#tn Heb “I will not set before my eyes a thing of worthlessness.”]

I hate doing evil;

I will have no part of it.

⁴I will have nothing to do with a perverse person;[#tn Heb “a perverse heart will turn aside from me.” The adjective עִקֵּשׁ (’iqqesh) has the basic nuance “twisted; crooked” and by extension refers to someone or something that is morally perverse (see Ps 18:26). It appears frequently in the Book of Proverbs, where it is used of evil people (22:5), speech (8:8; 19:1), thoughts (11:20; 17:20), and life styles (2:15; 28:6).]

I will not permit evil.

⁵I will destroy anyone who slanders his neighbor in secret.

I will not tolerate anyone who has a cocky demeanor and an arrogant attitude.

⁶I will favor the honest people of the land,[#tn Heb “my eyes [are] on the faithful of the land.”]

and allow them to live with me.

Those who walk in the way of integrity will attend me.

⁷Deceitful people will not live in my palace.[#tn Heb “he will not live in the midst of my house, one who does deceit.”]

Liars will not be welcome in my presence.

⁸Each morning I will destroy all the wicked people in the land,

and remove all evildoers from the city of the Lord .