• The Heritage of the Righteous and the Calamity of the Wicked

  • 1 Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
  • 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb.
  • 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
  • 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
  • 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
  • 6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.
  • 7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
  • 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm.
  • 9 For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth.
  • 10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more.
  • 11 But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
  • 12 The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth.
  • 13 The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming.
  • 14 The wicked have drawn the sword And have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct.
  • 15 Their sword shall enter their own heart, And their bows shall be broken.
  • 16 A little that a righteous man has Is better than the riches of many wicked.
  • 17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, But the Lord upholds the righteous.
  • 18 The Lord knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever.
  • 19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
  • 20 But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the Lord, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away.
  • 21 The wicked borrows and does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives.
  • 22 For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, But those cursed by Him shall be cut off.
  • 23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.
  • 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand.
  • 25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.
  • 26 He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed.
  • 27 Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell forevermore.
  • 28 For the Lord loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.
  • 29 The righteous shall inherit the land, And dwell in it forever.
  • 30 The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice.
  • 31 The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide.
  • 32 The wicked watches the righteous, And seeks to slay him.
  • 33 The Lord will not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him when he is judged.
  • 34 Wait on the Lord, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
  • 35 I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a native green tree.
  • 36 Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.
  • 37 Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace.
  • 38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off.
  • 39 But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble.
  • 40 And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him.