| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1[i]A Psalm[/i] of David. Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. | 1By David. Do not fret when wicked men seem to succeed! Do not envy evildoers! |
| 2For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as 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 feed on His faithfulness. | 3Trust in the LORD and do what is right! Settle in the land and maintain your integrity! |
| 4Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall 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 also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. | 5Commit your future to the LORD! Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf. |
| 6He shall 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. |
| 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 brings wicked schemes to pass. | 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! |
| 8Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm. | 8Do not be angry and frustrated! Do not fret! That only leads to trouble! |
| 9For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth. | 9Wicked men will be wiped out, but those who rely on the LORD are the ones who will possess the land. |
| 10For 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. | 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 earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. | 11But the oppressed will possess the land and enjoy great prosperity. |
| 12The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth. | 12Evil men plot against the godly and viciously attack them. |
| 13The Lord laughs at him, 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 have drawn the sword And have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct. | 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. |
| 16A little that a righteous man has Is better than the riches 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 upright, And their inheritance shall be forever. | 18The LORD watches over the innocent day by day and they possess a permanent inheritance. |
| 19They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. | 19They will not be ashamed when hard times come; when famine comes they will have enough to eat. |
| 20But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the LORD, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away. | 20But evil men will die; the LORD's enemies will be incinerated--they will go up in smoke. |
| 21The wicked borrows and does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives. | 21Evil men borrow, but do not repay their debt, but the godly show compassion and are generous. |
| 22For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, 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 good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. | 23The LORD grants success to the one whose behavior he finds commendable. |
| 24Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with 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, Nor his descendants begging 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 merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed. | 26All day long he shows compassion and lends to others, and his children are blessed. |
| 27Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell forevermore. | 27Turn away from evil! Do what is right! Then you will enjoy lasting security. |
| 28For the LORD loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants 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 in it forever. | 29The godly will possess the land and will dwell in it permanently. |
| 30The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice. | 30The godly speak wise words and promote justice. |
| 31The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide. | 31The law of their God controls their thinking; their feet do not slip. |
| 32The wicked watches the righteous, And seeks to slay him. | 32Evil men set an ambush for the godly and try to kill them. |
| 33The LORD will not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him when he is judged. | 33But the LORD does not surrender the godly, or allow them to be condemned in a court of law. |
| 34Wait 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. | 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 the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a native green tree. | 35I have seen ruthless evil men growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil. |
| 36Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; Indeed I sought him, but 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 man, and observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace. | 37Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly! For the one who promotes peace has a future. |
| 38But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off. | 38Sinful rebels are totally destroyed; evil men have no future. |
| 39But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble. | 39But the LORD delivers the godly; he protects them in times of trouble. |
| 40And the LORD shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust 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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