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1DO not fret because of evildoers;
or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for they will soon wither like the grass,
and fade like the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
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 act:
6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
your justice like the sun at noonday.
7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him;
do not fret when men prosper in their ways.
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and forsake wrath.
Do not fret—it only leads to evil.
9 For evildoers will be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord will inherit the land.
10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look diligently for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the earth,
and delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12 The wicked plot against the righteous,
and gnash their teeth at him;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for He knows that their day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword
and bend their bows,
to bring down the poor and needy,
and slay those who are of upright conduct.
15 Their sword will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
16 Better is the little a righteous man has,
than the riches of many wicked.
17 for the arms of the wicked will be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
and their inheritance will endure forever.
19 They will not be put to shame when times are hard,
in days of famine they will have an abundance.
20 But the wicked will perish;
the enemies of the Lord will be like the glory of the pastures;
they will vanish—like smoke they will disappear.
21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous show mercy and give.
22 For those who are blessed by Him will inherit the land,
but those who are cursed by Him will be cut off.
23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,
and He delights in his way.
24 Though he falls, he will not be cast down,
for the Lord upholds him with His hand.
25 I have been young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken,
or their children begging bread.
26 He is ever generous and lends freely,
and his children are blessed.
27 Depart from evil and do good,
then you will abide forever.
28 The Lord loves justice,
and will not forsake His faithful ones.
They are protected forever,
but the children of the wicked will be cut off.
29 The righteous will inherit the land,
and live in it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks what is just.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
none of his steps slide.
32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
and seeks to kill him.
33 The Lord will not leave him in his hand,
or let him be condemned when he is judged.
34 Wait on the Lord,
and keep to 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 violent man
flourishing like a well-rooted tree in its native soil.
36 Yet he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.
37 Consider the blameless, and observe the upright;
for the future of that man is peace.
38 But transgressors will be altogether destroyed;
the future of the wicked will be cut off.
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
He is their refuge in a 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.