Delight Yourself in the LORD

¹Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong. ²For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants.

³Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. ⁴Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it. ⁶He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn, your justice like the noonday sun.

⁷Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men prosper in their ways, when they carry out wicked schemes.

⁸Refrain from anger and abandon wrath; do not fret—it can only bring harm. ⁹For the evildoers will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

¹⁰Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. ¹¹But the meek will inherit the land and delight in abundant prosperity.

¹²The wicked scheme against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them, ¹³but the Lord laughs, seeing that their day is coming.

¹⁴The wicked have drawn the sword and bent the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. ¹⁵But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.

¹⁶Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many who are wicked. ¹⁷For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.

¹⁸The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will last forever. ¹⁹In the time of evil they will not be ashamed, and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.

²⁰But the wicked and enemies of the LORD will perish like the glory of the fields. They will vanish; like smoke they will fade away.

²¹The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and giving. ²²Surely those He blesses will inherit the land, but the cursed will be destroyed.

²³The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey. ²⁴Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand.

²⁵I once was young and now am old, yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned or their children begging for bread. ²⁶They are ever generous and quick to lend, and their children are a blessing.

²⁷Turn away from evil and do good, so that you will abide forever. ²⁸For the LORD loves justice and will not forsake His saints. They are preserved forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off. ²⁹The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.

³⁰The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. ³¹The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter.

³²Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, and seek to slay them, ³³the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned under judgment.

³⁴Wait for the LORD and keep His way, and He will raise you up to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

³⁵I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree, ³⁶yet he passed away and was no more; though I searched, he could not be found.

³⁷Consider the blameless and observe the upright, for posterity awaits the man of peace. ³⁸But the transgressors will all be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.

³⁹The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their stronghold in time of trouble. ⁴⁰The LORD helps and delivers them; He rescues and saves them from the wicked, because they take refuge in Him.