Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, and to the upright in heart.
Parallel translations
- WEB Do good, Yahweh, to those who are good, to those who are upright in their hearts.
- KJV Do good, O LORD, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.
- NKJV Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, And to those who are upright in their hearts.
- NASB ¶Do good, Lord, to those who are good And to those who are upright in their hearts.
- NLT O Lord, do good to those who are good, whose hearts are in tune with you.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The psalmist asks God to do good to the upright in heart. It reminds us that genuine inward integrity, not mere outward conformity, marks the people God blesses.
Overview
Here the prayer turns to petition, asking Yahweh to deal kindly with those who are good and upright in heart. Scripture consistently locates true goodness in the heart, which God alone sees and renews. Only in Christ are sinners given clean hearts, making this prayer answerable for all who trust Him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Ps 7:10My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.
- Ps 84:11For the LORD God is a sun and a shield; the LORD gives grace and glory; He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity.
- Ps 94:15Surely judgment will again be righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.
- Ps 119:68You are good, and You do what is good; teach me Your statutes.
- Ps 51:18In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.
- Ps 36:10Extend Your loving devotion to those who know You, and Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
- Ps 119:80May my heart be blameless in Your statutes, that I may not be put to shame.
- 1 Jn 3:17–24If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?
- Rev 14:5And no lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.
- Lam 3:25The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
- Ps 32:2Blessed is the man whose iniquity the LORD does not count against him, in whose spirit there is no deceit.
- Heb 6:10For God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so.
- John 1:47When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.”
- Ps 73:1A Psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
- Isa 58:10–11and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light will go forth in the darkness, and your night will be like noonday.
- Ps 41:1–3For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. Blessed is the one who cares for the poor; the LORD will deliver him in the day of trouble.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 125:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.