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Psalm 125:4
Do good, LORD, to those who are good, to those who are upright in their hearts.
2As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people from this time forward and forever more.
3For the scepter of wickedness won’t remain over the allotment of the righteous, so that the righteous won’t use their hands to do evil.
4Do good, LORD, to those who are good, to those who are upright in their hearts.
5But as for those who turn away to their crooked ways, the LORD will lead them away with the workers of iniquity. Peace be on Israel.
Notice
The plea for God to do good to the upright acknowledges that people with honest hearts can still live under the weight of wicked rule.
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Where else Scripture says this
11 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.
This verse's connections, by chapterThe Bible's strongest chapter linksHover or tap a book to trace it
Psalm 7:10My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.Both passages name the upright in heart: one asks the LORD to do them good, and the other names God as their shield.
Psalm 51:6Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts. You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.Upright hearts in Psalm 125 share a concern with truth in the inward parts in Psalm 51.
Psalm 84:11For the LORD God is a sun and a shield. The LORD will give grace and glory. He withholds no good thing from those who walk blamelessly.Psalm 125 asks the LORD to do good to the upright; Psalm 84 says he withholds no good thing from those walking blamelessly.
Psalm 94:15For judgment will return to righteousness. All the upright in heart shall follow it.Both name the upright in heart, with Psalm 94 describing them as followers of judgment restored to righteousness.
1 Peter 3:11Let him turn away from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it.Doing good is shared language, though the psalm asks God to act and Peter directs people to act.
Revelation 14:5In their mouth was found no lie, for they are blameless.Both passages describe people of integrity: the psalm names upright hearts, while Revelation names mouths free of lies.
John 1:47Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said about him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”The upright heart sought in the psalm shares the integrity Jesus recognizes in Nathanael, a man without deceit.
1 John 3:17–24But whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, then closes his heart of compassion against him, how does God’s love remain in him?The psalm names upright hearts; John questions a heart closed against a brother who needs help.
Hebrews 6:10For God is not unrighteous, so as to forget your work and the labor of love which you showed toward his name, in that you served the saints, and still do serve …The psalm asks God to do good to the upright; Hebrews says God remembers service offered in love.
Isaiah 58:10–11and if you pour out your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light will rise in darkness, and your obscurity will be as the noonday;The psalm asks for good toward upright people; Isaiah promises light to those who feed the hungry and help the afflicted.
Lamentations 3:25The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.Both speak of the LORD's goodness toward people, naming upright hearts in the psalm and those who wait and seek in Lamentations.
Where this verse fits
Injustice and anger. wanting a steady prayer habit.
One step
Something small to carry out of this verse
Encouragement
Being upright in heart does not remove the need for help. The psalm asks YHWH to care for the good, and his people remain surrounded by him.
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).