Security of Those Who Trust in the LORD, and Insecurity of the Wicked.

A Psalm of David.

1Do not get upset because of evildoers,

Do not be envious of wrongdoers.

2For they will wither quickly like the grass,

And decay like the green plants.

3Trust in the LORD and do good;

Live in the land and [a]cultivate faithfulness.

4Delight yourself in the LORD;

And He will give you the desires of your heart.

5Commit your way to the LORD,

Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

6He will bring out your righteousness as the light,

And your judgment as the noonday.

7[b]Rest in the LORD and wait [c]patiently for Him;

Do not get upset because of one who is successful in his way,

Because of the person who carries out wicked schemes.

8Cease from anger and abandon wrath;

Do not get upset; it leads only to evildoing.

9For evildoers will be eliminated,

But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.

10Yet a little while and the wicked person will be no more;

And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.

11But the humble will inherit the land

And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

12The wicked plots against the righteous,

And gnashes at him with his teeth.

13The Lord laughs at him,

For He sees that his day is coming.

14The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow

To take down the afflicted and the needy,

To kill off those who are upright in conduct.

15Their sword will enter their own heart,

And their bows will be broken.

16Better is the little of the righteous

Than the abundance of many wicked.

17For the arms of the wicked will be broken,

But the LORD sustains the righteous.

18The LORD knows the days of the [d]blameless,

And their inheritance will be forever.

19They will not be ashamed in the time of evil,

And in the days of famine they will have plenty.

20But the wicked will perish;

And the enemies of the LORD will be like the [e]glory of the pastures,

They vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

21The wicked borrows and does not pay back,

But the righteous is gracious and gives.

22For those blessed by Him will inherit the land,

But those cursed by Him will be eliminated.

23The steps of a man are established by the LORD,

And He delights in his way.

24When he falls, he will not be hurled down,

Because the LORD is the One [f]who holds his hand.

25I have been young and now I am old,

Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken

Or his [g]descendants begging for bread.

26All day long he is gracious and lends,

And his [h]descendants are a blessing.

27Turn from evil and do good,

So that you will dwell forever.

28For the LORD loves [i]justice

And does not abandon His godly ones;

They are protected forever,

But the [j]descendants of the wicked will be eliminated.

29The righteous will inherit the land

And dwell in it forever.

30The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,

And his tongue speaks justice.

31The Law of his God is in his heart;

His steps do not slip.

32The wicked spies upon the righteous

And seeks to kill him.

33The LORD will not leave him in his hand

Or let him be condemned when he is judged.

34Wait for the LORD and keep His way,

And He will exalt you to inherit the land;

When the wicked are eliminated, you will see it.

35I have seen a wicked, violent person

Spreading himself like a luxuriant [k]tree in its native soil.

36Then he passed away, and behold, he was no more;

I searched for him, but he could not be found.

37Observe the [l]blameless person, and look at the upright;

For the person of peace will have a future.

38But wrongdoers will altogether be destroyed;

The future of the wicked will be eliminated.

39But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;

He is their strength in time of trouble.

40The LORD helps them and rescues them;

He rescues them from the wicked and saves them,

Because they take refuge in Him.