| NET Bible | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1By David. Do not fret when wicked men seem to succeed! Do not envy evildoers! | 1A Psalm of David. Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers. |
| 2For they will quickly dry up like grass, and wither away like plants. | 2For they will wither quickly like the grass And fade like the green herb. |
| 3Trust in the LORD and do what is right! Settle in the land and maintain your integrity! | 3Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. |
| 4Then you will take delight in the LORD, and he will answer your prayers. | 4Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. |
| 5Commit your future to the LORD! Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf. | 5Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. |
| 6He will vindicate you in broad daylight, and publicly defend your just cause. | 6He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday. |
| 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! | 7Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. |
| 8Do not be angry and frustrated! Do not fret! That only leads to trouble! | 8Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. |
| 9Wicked men will be wiped out, but those who rely on the LORD are the ones who will possess the land. | 9For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land. |
| 10Evil men will soon disappear; you will stare at the spot where they once were, but they will be gone. | 10Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there. |
| 11But the oppressed will possess the land and enjoy great prosperity. | 11But the humble will inherit the land And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity. |
| 12Evil men plot against the godly and viciously attack them. | 12The wicked plots against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth. |
| 13The Lord laughs in disgust at them, for he knows that their day is coming. | 13The Lord laughs at him, For He sees his day is coming. |
| 14Evil men draw their swords and prepare their bows, to bring down the oppressed and needy, and to slaughter those who are godly. | 14The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow To cast down the afflicted and the needy, To slay those who are upright in conduct. |
| 15Their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. | 15Their sword will enter their own heart, And their bows will be broken. |
| 16The little bit that a godly man owns is better than the wealth of many evil men, | 16Better is the little of the righteous Than the abundance of many wicked. |
| 17for evil men will lose their power, but the LORD sustains the godly. | 17For the arms of the wicked will be broken, But the LORD sustains the righteous. |
| 18The LORD watches over the innocent day by day and they possess a permanent inheritance. | 18The LORD knows the days of the blameless, And their inheritance will be forever. |
| 19They will not be ashamed when hard times come; when famine comes they will have enough to eat. | 19They will not be ashamed in the time of evil, And in the days of famine they will have abundance. |
| 20But evil men will die; the LORD's enemies will be incinerated--they will go up in smoke. | 20But the wicked will perish; And the enemies of the LORD will be like the glory of the pastures, They vanish-- like smoke they vanish away. |
| 21Evil men borrow, but do not repay their debt, but the godly show compassion and are generous. | 21The wicked borrows and does not pay back, But the righteous is gracious and gives. |
| 22Surely those favored by the LORD will possess the land, but those rejected by him will be wiped out. | 22For those blessed by Him will inherit the land, But those cursed by Him will be cut off. |
| 23The LORD grants success to the one whose behavior he finds commendable. | 23The steps of a man are established by the LORD, And He delights in his way. |
| 24Even if he trips, he will not fall headlong, for the LORD holds his hand. | 24When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand. |
| 25I was once young, now I am old. I have never seen a godly man abandoned, or his children forced to search for food. | 25I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his descendants begging bread. |
| 26All day long he shows compassion and lends to others, and his children are blessed. | 26All day long he is gracious and lends, And his descendants are a blessing. |
| 27Turn away from evil! Do what is right! Then you will enjoy lasting security. | 27Depart from evil and do good, So you will abide forever. |
| 28For the LORD promotes justice, and never abandons his faithful followers. They are permanently secure, but the children of evil men are wiped out. | 28For the LORD loves justice And does not forsake His godly ones; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off. |
| 29The godly will possess the land and will dwell in it permanently. | 29The righteous will inherit the land And dwell in it forever. |
| 30The godly speak wise words and promote justice. | 30The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, And his tongue speaks justice. |
| 31The law of their God controls their thinking; their feet do not slip. | 31The law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip. |
| 32Evil men set an ambush for the godly and try to kill them. | 32The wicked spies upon the righteous And seeks to kill him. |
| 33But the LORD does not surrender the godly, or allow them to be condemned in a court of law. | 33The LORD will not leave him in his hand Or let him be condemned when he is judged. |
| 34Rely on the LORD! Obey his commands! Then he will permit you to possess the land; you will see the demise of evil men. | 34Wait for the LORD and keep His way, And He will exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you will see it. |
| 35I have seen ruthless evil men growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil. | 35I have seen a wicked, violent man Spreading himself like a luxuriant tree in its native soil. |
| 36But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared! I looked for them, but they could not be found. | 36Then he passed away, and lo, he was no more; I sought for him, but he could not be found. |
| 37Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly! For the one who promotes peace has a future. | 37Mark the blameless man, and behold the upright; For the man of peace will have a posterity. |
| 38Sinful rebels are totally destroyed; evil men have no future. | 38But transgressors will be altogether destroyed; The posterity of the wicked will be cut off. |
| 39But the LORD delivers the godly; he protects them in times of trouble. | 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 evil men and delivers them, for they seek his protection. | 40The LORD helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, Because they take refuge in Him. |
| NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. //netbible.com. Used by permission. All rights reserved. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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