[1] Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong.
[2] For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither.
[3] Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
[4] Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
[5] Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.
[6] He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
[7] Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.
[8] Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper— it only leads to harm.
[9] For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.
[10] Soon the wicked will disappear. Though you look for them, they will be gone.
[11] The lowly will possess the land and will live in peace and prosperity.
[12] The wicked plot against the godly; they snarl at them in defiance.
[13] But the Lord just laughs, for he sees their day of judgment coming.
[14] The wicked draw their swords and string their bows to kill the poor and the oppressed, to slaughter those who do right.
[15] But their swords will stab their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.
[16] It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich.
[17] For the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the Lord takes care of the godly.
[18] Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.
[19] They will not be disgraced in hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough.
[20] But the wicked will die. The Lord’s enemies are like flowers in a field— they will disappear like smoke.
[21] The wicked borrow and never repay, but the godly are generous givers.
[22] Those the Lord blesses will possess the land, but those he curses will die.
[23] The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
[24] Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.
[25] Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.
[26] The godly always give generous loans to others, and their children are a blessing.
[27] Turn from evil and do good, and you will live in the land forever.
[28] For the Lord loves justice, and he will never abandon the godly. He will keep them safe forever, but the children of the wicked will die.
[29] The godly will possess the land and will live there forever.
[30] The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong.
[31] They have made God’s law their own, so they will never slip from his path.
[32] The wicked wait in ambush for the godly, looking for an excuse to kill them.
[33] But the Lord will not let the wicked succeed or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial.
[34] Put your hope in the Lord. Travel steadily along his path. He will honor you by giving you the land. You will see the wicked destroyed.
[35] I have seen wicked and ruthless people flourishing like a tree in its native soil.
[36] But when I looked again, they were gone! Though I searched for them, I could not find them!
[37] Look at those who are honest and good, for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.
[38] But the rebellious will be destroyed; they have no future.
[39] The Lord rescues the godly; he is their fortress in times of trouble.
[40] The Lord helps them, rescuing them from the wicked. He saves them, and they find shelter in him.