| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! | 1By David. Do not fret when wicked men seem to succeed! Do not envy evildoers! |
| 2For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. | 2For they will quickly dry up like grass, and wither away like plants. |
| 3Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. | 3Trust in the LORD and do what is right! Settle in the land and maintain your integrity! |
| 4Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. | 4Then you will take delight in the LORD, and he will answer your prayers. |
| 5Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. | 5Commit your future to the LORD! Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf. |
| 6He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. | 6He will vindicate you in broad daylight, and publicly defend your just cause. |
| 7Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! | 7Wait patiently for the LORD! Wait confidently for him! Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner, a man who carries out wicked schemes! |
| 8Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. | 8Do not be angry and frustrated! Do not fret! That only leads to trouble! |
| 9For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land. | 9Wicked men will be wiped out, but those who rely on the LORD are the ones who will possess the land. |
| 10In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. | 10Evil men will soon disappear; you will stare at the spot where they once were, but they will be gone. |
| 11But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. | 11But the oppressed will possess the land and enjoy great prosperity. |
| 12The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, | 12Evil men plot against the godly and viciously attack them. |
| 13but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming. | 13The Lord laughs in disgust at them, for he knows that their day is coming. |
| 14The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright; | 14Evil men draw their swords and prepare their bows, to bring down the oppressed and needy, and to slaughter those who are godly. |
| 15their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. | 15Their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. |
| 16Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked. | 16The little bit that a godly man owns is better than the wealth of many evil men, |
| 17For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous. | 17for evil men will lose their power, but the LORD sustains the godly. |
| 18The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever; | 18The LORD watches over the innocent day by day and they possess a permanent inheritance. |
| 19they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance. | 19They will not be ashamed when hard times come; when famine comes they will have enough to eat. |
| 20But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away. | 20But evil men will die; the LORD's enemies will be incinerated--they will go up in smoke. |
| 21The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives; | 21Evil men borrow, but do not repay their debt, but the godly show compassion and are generous. |
| 22for those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off. | 22Surely those favored by the LORD will possess the land, but those rejected by him will be wiped out. |
| 23The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; | 23The LORD grants success to the one whose behavior he finds commendable. |
| 24though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand. | 24Even if he trips, he will not fall headlong, for the LORD holds his hand. |
| 25I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. | 25I was once young, now I am old. I have never seen a godly man abandoned, or his children forced to search for food. |
| 26He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing. | 26All day long he shows compassion and lends to others, and his children are blessed. |
| 27Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. | 27Turn away from evil! Do what is right! Then you will enjoy lasting security. |
| 28For the LORD loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. | 28For the LORD promotes justice, and never abandons his faithful followers. They are permanently secure, but the children of evil men are wiped out. |
| 29The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. | 29The godly will possess the land and will dwell in it permanently. |
| 30The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. | 30The godly speak wise words and promote justice. |
| 31The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip. | 31The law of their God controls their thinking; their feet do not slip. |
| 32The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death. | 32Evil men set an ambush for the godly and try to kill them. |
| 33The LORD will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial. | 33But the LORD does not surrender the godly, or allow them to be condemned in a court of law. |
| 34Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off. | 34Rely on the LORD! Obey his commands! Then he will permit you to possess the land; you will see the demise of evil men. |
| 35I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree. | 35I have seen ruthless evil men growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil. |
| 36But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found. | 36But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared! I looked for them, but they could not be found. |
| 37Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. | 37Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly! For the one who promotes peace has a future. |
| 38But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off. | 38Sinful rebels are totally destroyed; evil men have no future. |
| 39The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble. | 39But the LORD delivers the godly; he protects them in times of trouble. |
| 40The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him. | 40The LORD helps them and rescues them; he rescues them from evil men and delivers them, for they seek his protection. |
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