1 Avoid fretting because of evil men
. or envying those who do wrong;
2 As the grass soon withers, so will they;
. like green plants they will soon die away.
3 Be always trusting in the Lord and doing good;
. dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 By delighting yourself in the Lord
. you will receive from him the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
. trust in him and he will reward you,
6 Causing your righteousness to shine like the dawn,
. the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
7 Daily 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 Exercise restraint when angry; turn from wrath,
. and do not fret—it only leads to evil.
9 Evil men will be cut off,
. but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
10 For in a little while, the wicked will be no more;
. though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 Favor and great peace will come to the meek,
. and they will inherit the land.
12 Gnashing their teeth against the righteous,
. the wicked plot against them;
13 God laughs at the wicked, however,
. for he knows their day is coming.
14 Having drawn their sword and bent their bow,
. the wicked seek to bring down the poor and needy,
. to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 However, their swords will pierce their own hearts,
. and their bows will be broken.
16 Is it not better to have the little of the righteous
. than the wealth of man wicked?
17 Inevitably the power of the wicked will be broken,
. but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18 Just men’s days are known to the Lord,
. and their inheritance will endure forever.
19 Joy and plenty will be theirs in days of famine;
. in times of disaster they will not wither.
20 Know that the wicked will perish:
. the Lord’s enemies will be like the beauty of the fields;
. Killed, they will vanish—
. vanish like smoke.
21 Loans the wicked are always borrowing they do not repay,
. but the righteous are always able to give generously.
22 Land will be the inheritance of those the Lord blesses,
. but those he curses will be cut off.
23 Much the Lord delights in the way of the man
. whose steps he has made firm;
24 May be he will stumble, but he will not fall,
. for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
25 Never—from the time I was young till now when I’m old—
. never have I seen the righteous forsaken
. or his children begging bread.
26 Not grudging, they are always generous, lending freely;
. their children will be blessed.
27 Once you turn from evil and do good,
. you will always live securely.
28 Ones who are faithful the Lord does not forsake,
. for he loves the just.
. Protected forever will they be,
. but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;
29 Prospering, the righteous will inherit the land
. and dwell in it forever.
30 Quotes of wisdom issue from the mouth of the righteous man,
. and his tongue speaks what is just.
31 Quietly rooted in his heart is the law of God;
. therefore his feet do not slip.
32 Relentlessly the wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
. seeking their very lives;
33 Rescuing them, the Lord will not leave them in their power,
. or let them be condemned when brought to trial.
34 Seek the Lord, wait for him
. and keep his way.
. Surely he will exalt you to possess the land;
. when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
35 Though I have see a wicked and ruthless man
. flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,
36 That man soon passed away and was no more;
. though I looked for him, he could not be found.
37 Upright, blameless men—consider and observe them,
. for there is a future for the man of peace.
38 Unrighteous men, though, will all be destroyed;
. the future of the wicked will be cut off.
39 Victory and salvation for the righteous come from the Lord;
. he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
. Vindicating them, he helps and delivers,
. saving them from the wicked
. because they take refuge in him.