Psalm 101 (Tehillim 101) in Hebrew and English
Tenakh Study · Read the Psalms in Hebrew and English, one psalm per page. Our Tenakh study meets every Wednesday at 7 pm (Central Time) on Zoom. Text us for the Zoom link.
Text (469) 608-9944Psalm 101
David’s psalm of resolve to walk with a perfect heart in his house, to set no wicked thing before his eyes, and to cut off slanderers and the wicked of the land.
101:1A Psalm of David. I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto You, O Hashem, will I sing.
אלְדָוִ֗ד מִ֫זְמ֥וֹר חֶֽסֶד־וּמִשְׁפָּ֥ט אָשִׁ֑ירָה לְךָ֖ יְהוָ֣ה אֲזַמֵּֽרָה׃
101:2I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when will You come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
באַשְׂכִּ֤ילָה ׀ בְּדֶ֬רֶךְ תָּמִ֗ים מָ֭תַי תָּב֣וֹא אֵלָ֑י אֶתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ בְּתָם־לְ֝בָבִ֗י בְּקֶ֣רֶב בֵּיתִֽי׃
101:3I will set no wicked thing before my eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
גלֹֽא־אָשִׁ֨ית ׀ לְנֶ֥גֶד עֵינַ֗י דְּֽבַר־בְּלִ֫יָּ֥עַל עֲשֹֽׂה־סֵטִ֥ים שָׂנֵ֑אתִי לֹ֖א יִדְבַּ֣ק בִּֽי׃
101:4A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.
דלֵבָ֣ב עִ֭קֵּשׁ יָס֣וּר מִמֶּ֑נִּי רָ֝֗ע לֹ֣א אֵדָֽע׃
101:5Whoso privily slanders his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that has a high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
המְלָשְׁנִ֬י (כתיב מלושני) בַסֵּ֨תֶר ׀ רֵעֵהוּ֮ אוֹת֪וֹ אַ֫צְמִ֥ית גְּֽבַהּ־עֵ֭ינַיִם וּרְחַ֣ב לֵבָ֑ב אֹ֝ת֗וֹ לֹ֣א אוּכָֽל׃
101:6My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walks in a perfect way, he shall serve me.
ועֵינַ֤י ׀ בְּנֶֽאֶמְנֵי־אֶרֶץ֮ לָשֶׁ֪בֶת עִמָּ֫דִ֥י הֹ֭לֵךְ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ תָּמִ֑ים ה֝֗וּא יְשָׁרְתֵֽנִי׃
101:7He that works deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that tells lies shall not tarry in my sight.
זלֹֽא־יֵשֵׁ֨ב ׀ בְּקֶ֥רֶב בֵּיתִי֮ עֹשֵׂ֪ה רְמִ֫יָּ֥ה דֹּבֵ֥ר שְׁקָרִ֑ים לֹֽא־יִ֝כּ֗וֹן לְנֶ֣גֶד עֵינָֽי׃
101:8I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of Hashem.
חלַבְּקָרִ֗ים אַצְמִ֥ית כָּל־רִשְׁעֵי־אָ֑רֶץ לְהַכְרִ֥ית מֵֽעִיר־יְ֝הוָ֗ה כָּל־פֹּ֥עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃
How well do you know Psalm 101?
Read the psalm, then pick the best answer for each question. You will see right away if you got it right. When you have answered every question, you will see your score. To try again, press Start over.
Your answers and score are saved on this device only, so they will be here when you come back. Press Start over to clear them.
Sources & method
- Hebrew text
- The Masoretic text with vowels (nikkud) and cantillation marks (ta’amim), from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain) as published by the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0). Where the written text (ketiv) differs from the reading (qere), the reading is shown and the written form follows in small type. The Divine Name is printed as it appears in the codex.
- English translation
- The King James Version (public domain), lightly modernized by Benei Avraham: “thee/thou/ye” become “you,” older verb forms are updated (“hath” to “has”), and archaic words are replaced only where the meaning would otherwise be unclear. People and places carry their Hebrew names, with the familiar English name in parentheses the first time on each page (e.g., Tziyon (Zion)). The Divine Name (יהוה, “the LORD” in the KJV) is written “Hashem,” the short form יָהּ is “Yah,” and הַלְלוּ־יָהּ is “Hallelujah”; “God” (Elohim) and “Lord” (Adonai) are unchanged, and “law” is “Torah” where the Hebrew is תּוֹרָה.
- Verse numbers
- Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible. In the Hebrew a psalm’s heading (“A Psalm of David…”) is part of the text and is counted as verse 1, or verses 1–2, so in psalms with a heading the verse numbers are often one or two higher than in English Bibles. Where that happens, a note under the summary says so.
- Quiz
- Written by Benei Avraham for young readers (about 11 and up). Every answer is in the psalm on this page. Answers and scores are kept only in this browser (local storage) and can be cleared with Start over.
- Hebrew font
- SBL Hebrew, by the Society of Biblical Literature.