But those who turn aside to their crooked ways the LORD will lead away with evildoers! Peace be upon Israel!
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse contrasts the fate of those who "turn aside" with a final, fervent prayer for peace on Israel. It’s a powerful reminder that choosing "crooked ways" leads not just to punishment, but to being lumped in with outright evildoers, a stark warning against spiritual compromise.
But those who turn aside to their crooked ways the LORD will lead away with evildoers! Peace be upon Israel!
English Standard Version (ESV)
This Psalm speaks of God's unwavering protection for those who remain faithful, assuring them that wicked schemes won't permanently oppress them. It then contrasts the steadfast with those who abandon God's path for deceitful ways, warning that they will face judgment alongside other evildoers. The Psalm concludes with a hopeful prayer for peace upon true Israel, signifying a purified community enjoying divine favor.
Ever feel like you're trying to do the right thing, but there are easier, sneakier paths available? This verse warns about those very choices.
Turning Aside
The psalm contrasts the steadfastness of the righteous with the peril of those who 'turn aside unto their crooked ways.' This isn't just about making a mistake; it's a deliberate departure from the straight path of faithfulness.
The psalm ends with a powerful declaration of peace. But who is this peace for? It's not a blanket statement for everyone.
The Benediction of Peace
The final phrase, 'Peace be upon Israel!', is more than just a hopeful wish; it's a confident declaration tied directly to faithfulness.
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Understand the original words
aqalqalloth · Hebrew Adjective
Perverted, crooked, or twisted behavior that deviates from the straight path of God's commands. It signifies a departure from truth and moral alignment.
shalom · Hebrew Noun
The comprehensive state of well-being, wholeness, prosperity, and divine favor that comes from being in a right relationship with God. It is more than the absence of war; it is the presence of God's blessing.
Yisra'el · Hebrew Proper Noun
The covenant name for God's people. It refers to the physical descendants of Jacob and, by extension in the new covenant, all those who are grafted into the spiritual family of God.
This Psalm speaks directly to the period of rebuilding Jerusalem's walls under Nehemiah, a time when disloyalty and internal corruption threatened the community alongside external enemies, highlighting the sharp contrast between the faithful 'upright in heart' and those who compromised or betrayed the cause for personal gain.
c. 516 BC
Second Temple Rebuilt
After the Babylonian exile, Jewish exiles returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the Temple, marking a significant religious and national restoration.
c. 458 BC
Ezra's Return to Jerusalem
Ezra, a scribe and priest, led another group of exiles back to Jerusalem, focusing on religious reform and adherence to the Law.
c. 445-433 BC— this verse
Nehemiah Rebuilds Jerusalem's Walls
Nehemiah, cupbearer to the Persian king, secured permission to return to Jerusalem and rebuild its defenses, facing significant opposition from surrounding peoples.
c. 444 BC
Opposition to Wall Construction
Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and others actively plotted to disrupt and halt Nehemiah's work on the walls of Jerusalem.
c. 444 BC
Treachery and Intrigues
Some in Jerusalem, influenced by the external opposition, engaged in 'crooked ways,' potentially conspiring with enemies or engaging in dishonest practices, drawing the rebuke of prophets like Nehemiah.
This passage echoes the benediction on Israel, expanding it to the 'Israel of God' – a spiritual community – highlighting that true peace rests upon those who walk according to this divine standard, mirroring the psalm's contrast between faithfulness and straying.
Matthew 25:41The consequence for those who 'turn aside' and align with evildoers finds a parallel in Jesus' description of eternal judgment for those separated from God, showing that rejecting God's path leads to a shared destiny with the wicked.
Jeremiah 17:5-6This passage directly contrasts those who trust in humans and turn away from God with those whose hope is in the LORD, illustrating the 'crooked ways' mentioned in the psalm and the resulting lack of prosperity compared to the blessedness of the faithful.
Hebrews 10:39This verse speaks of believers not shrinking back from faith but believing to the receiving of the promise, which directly contrasts with the 'turning aside' into crooked ways mentioned in the psalm, emphasizing the danger of spiritual defection.
Proverbs 11:20The psalm's promise of peace for the upright and judgment for the crooked finds a strong conceptual parallel here, stating that the LORD detests the devious of heart but favors the blameless in their ways.
cambridgePsalms 125:5: "As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel."
5 . But as for such as turn aside &c.] Renegades who forsake the straight course of duty to their God and country for tortuous courses of intrigue with enemies: the disloyal party in Jerusalem, some of whom, like Shemaiah, took bribes from Sanballat and Tobiah to entrap Nehemiah, while others kept up a treasonable correspondence with the…
poolePsalms 125:5: "As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel."
But those hypocrites, who either through fear of the rod, mentioned Psalm 125:3 , or for other considerations, shall turn aside from the ways of God, which for a time they professed and seemed to own, unto sinful courses, whom he opposeth to the upright , Psalm 125:4 , the Lord shall lead them forth , to wit, unto punishment, as malefact…
The verse contrasts the fate of those who "turn aside" with a final, fervent prayer for peace on Israel. It’s a powerful reminder that choosing "crooked ways" leads not just to punishment, but to being lumped in with outright evildoers, a stark warning against spiritual compromise.
This Psalm speaks of God's unwavering protection for those who remain faithful, assuring them that wicked schemes won't permanently oppress them. It then contrasts the steadfast with those who abandon God's path for deceitful ways, warning that they will face judgment alongside other evildoers. The Psalm concludes with a hopeful prayer for peace upon true Israel, signifying a purified community enjoying divine favor.
This Psalm speaks of God's unwavering protection for those who remain faithful, assuring them that wicked schemes won't permanently oppress them. It then contrasts the steadfast with those who abandon God's path for deceitful ways, warning that they will face judgment alongside other evildoers. The Psalm concludes with a hopeful prayer for peace upon true Israel, signifying a purified community enjoying divine favor.
"But those who turn aside to their crooked ways the LORD will lead away with evildoers! Peace be upon Israel!" — The verse contrasts the fate of those who "turn aside" with a final, fervent prayer for peace on Israel. It’s a powerful reminder that choosing "crooked ways" leads not just to punishment, but to bei…
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Last reviewed October 2026