1 [a] Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon
wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.
3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your
heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteousness
shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday
sun.
7 Be still before the LORD and wait
patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their
ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn from
wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD will
inherit the land.
10 A little while, and the wicked
will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be
found.
11 But the meek will inherit the
land
and enjoy great peace.
12 The wicked plot against the
righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the
wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce
their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
16 Better the little that the
righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked
will be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.
18 The days of the blameless are
known to the LORD,
and their inheritance will endure forever.
19 In times of disaster they will
not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
20 But the wicked will perish:
The LORD's
enemies will be like the beauty of the fields,
they will vanish—vanish like smoke.
21 The wicked borrow and do not
repay,
but the righteous give generously;
22 those the LORD blesses will
inherit the land,
but those he curses will be cut off.
23 If the LORD delights in a man's
way,
he makes his steps firm;
24 though he stumble,
he will not fall,
for the LORD upholds him with his hand.
25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous
forsaken
or their children begging bread.
26 They are always generous and
lend freely;
their children will be blessed.
27 Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.
28 For the LORD loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.
They will be protected forever,
but the offspring of the wicked will be
cut off;
29 the righteous will inherit the
land
and dwell in it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous man
utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks what is just.
31 The law of his God is in his
heart;
his feet do not slip.
32 The wicked lie in wait for the
righteous,
seeking their very lives;
33 but the LORD will not leave
them in their power
or let them be condemned when brought to
trial.
34 Wait for the LORD
and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are cut off, you will see
it.
35 I have seen a wicked and
ruthless man
flourishing like a green tree in its
native soil,
36 but he soon passed away and was
no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be
found.
37 Consider the blameless, observe
the upright;
there is a future [b] for the man of peace.
38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
the future [c] of the wicked will be cut off.
39 The salvation of the righteous
comes from the LORD;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40 The LORD helps them and
delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves
them,
because they take refuge in him.
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