1[1] Of David. Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! (Ps 37:7; Ps 73:3; Pr 3:31; Pr 23:17; Pr 24:1; Pr 24:19)2For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. (Job 14:2; Job 27:13; Ps 90:5; Ps 129:6)3Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.[2] (Le 26:5; Ps 62:8; Ps 115:9; Pr 2:21; Pr 3:5; Isa 26:4)4Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Job 22:26; Isa 58:14; Mt 6:33; Php 3:1; Php 4:4)5Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. (Ps 22:8; Ps 37:3; Ps 55:22; Pr 16:3; 1Pe 5:7)6He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. (Job 11:17; Isa 58:8; Isa 58:10; Mic 7:9)7Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! (Ps 37:1; Ps 62:1; Isa 30:15; Jer 12:1; La 3:26)8Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. (Ps 37:7; Eph 4:26)9For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. (Ps 25:13; Ps 37:2; Ps 37:22; Pr 2:21; Isa 57:13; Isa 60:21)10In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. (Job 7:10; Job 24:24)11But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. (Ps 119:165; Isa 32:17; Mt 5:5)12The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, (Ps 31:13; Ps 35:16)13but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming. (Job 18:20; Ps 2:4)14The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright; (Ps 7:10; Ps 7:12)15their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. (1Sa 2:4)16Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked. (Pr 15:16; Pr 16:8; 1Ti 6:6)17For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. (Job 38:15; Ps 10:15; Ps 37:24; Eze 30:21)18The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever; (Ps 1:6; Ps 37:9)19they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance. (Job 5:20; Ps 33:19)20But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away. (Ps 68:2; Ps 102:3; Ho 13:3; Mt 6:30; Jas 1:11)21The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives; (Ps 37:26)22for those blessed by the Lord[3] shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off. (Ps 37:2; Ps 37:9)23The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; (1Sa 2:9; Ps 25:12; Ps 40:2; Ps 119:5)24though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. (Ps 37:17; Pr 24:16; Mic 7:8; 2Co 4:9)25I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. (Job 15:23; Ps 109:10)26He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing. (De 15:8; De 15:10; Ps 112:5; Ps 112:9; Mt 5:42; Lu 6:35)27Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. (Ps 34:14; Ps 102:28)28For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. (Ps 11:7; Ps 16:10; Ps 21:10; Ps 37:2; Ps 37:9; Pr 2:22; Isa 14:20)29The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. (Ps 37:27)30The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.31The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip. (De 6:6; Ps 40:8; Ps 73:2; Ps 119:11; Isa 51:7; Jer 31:33; Ro 7:22)32The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death. (Ps 10:8)33The Lord will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial. (Ps 109:31; 2Pe 2:9)34Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off. (Ps 27:14; Ps 37:9; Ps 52:5; Ps 91:8)35I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree.[4] (Job 5:3; Ps 52:8)36But he passed away,[5] and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found. (Job 20:5; Ps 37:10)37Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. (Ps 37:11; Ps 119:165; Isa 57:2)38But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off. (Job 18:17; Ps 52:5; Ps 73:17; Ps 104:35; Pr 2:22)39The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble. (Ps 3:8; Ps 9:9)40The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him. (1Ch 5:20; Ps 11:1; Isa 31:5; Da 3:17; Da 3:28; Da 6:23; Ac 12:11)