1 - <Of David.> Do not be angry because of the wrongdoers, or have envy of the workers of evil.
2 - For they will quickly be cut down like grass, and become dry like the green plants.
3 - Have faith in the Lord, and do good; be at rest in the land, and go after righteousness.
4 - So will your delight be in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires.
5 - Put your life in the hands of the Lord; have faith in him and he will do it.
6 - And he will make your righteousness be seen like the light, and your cause like the shining of the sun.
7 - Take your rest in the Lord, waiting quietly for him; do not be angry because of the man who does well in his evil ways, and gives effect to his bad designs.
8 - Put an end to your wrath and be no longer bitter; do not give way to angry feeling which is a cause of sin.
9 - For the evil-doers will be cut off: but those who have faith in the Lord will have the earth for their heritage.
10 - For in a short time the evil-doer will be gone: you will go searching for his place, and it will not be there.
11 - But the gentle will have the earth for their heritage; they will take their delight in peace without measure.
12 - The sinner has evil designs against the upright, lifting up the voice of wrath against him.
13 - He will be laughed at by the Lord, who sees that his day is coming.
14 - The evil-doers have taken out their swords, their bows are bent; for crushing the poor, and to put to death those who are upright in their ways.
15 - But their swords will be turned into their hearts, and their bows will be broken.
16 - The little which the good man has is better than the wealth of evil-doers.
17 - For the arms of the evil-doers will be broken: but the Lord is the support of the good.
18 - The days of the upright are numbered by the Lord, and their heritage will be for ever.
19 - They will not be shamed in the evil time, and in the days when all are in need of food they will have enough.
20 - But the wrongdoers will come to destruction, and the haters of the Lord will be like the fat of lambs, they will be burned up; they will go up in smoke, and never again be seen.
21 - The sinner takes money and does not give it back; but the upright man has mercy, and gives to others.
22 - Those who have his blessing will have the earth for their heritage; but those who are cursed by him will be cut off.
23 - The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he takes delight in his way.
24 - Even if he has a fall he will not be without help: for the hand of the Lord is supporting him.
25 - I have been young, and now am old, but I have not seen the good man without help, or his children looking for bread.
26 - All the day he is ready to have mercy and to give; his children are a blessing.
27 - Be turned from evil, and do good; and your place will be for ever.
28 - For the Lord is a lover of righteousness, and takes care of his saints; they will be kept safe for ever; but the seed of the evil-doers will be cut off.
29 - The upright will have the earth for their heritage, and will go on living there for ever.
30 - The mouth of the good man says words of wisdom; the talk of his tongue is of righteousness.
31 - The law of his God is in his heart; he will never make a false step.
32 - The sinners are watching the upright man, desiring to put him to death.
33 - The Lord will not give him into their hands, or be against him when he is judged.
34 - Be waiting for the Lord, and keep his way; and you will be lifted up, and have the land for your heritage: when the evil-doers are cut off, you will see it.
35 - I have seen the evil-doer in great power, covering the earth like a great tree.
36 - But he came to an end, and there was no sign of him; I made a search for him and he was not there.
37 - Give attention to the good man, and take note of the upright; because the end of that man is peace.
38 - But as for the sinners, they will be cut off together; the end of the wrongdoers is destruction.
39 - But the Lord is the saviour of the upright: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
40 - And the Lord will be their help, and keep them safe: he will take them out of the hands of the evil-doers, and be their saviour, because they had faith in him.