1[1] Von David.
Reg dich nicht über die Bösen auf, / beneide die Verbrecher nicht!2Sie verdorren schnell wie das Gras, / welken wie das grüne Kraut.3Vertraue auf Jahwe und tue das Gute, / wohne im Land, sei ehrlich und treu!4Erfreu dich an Jahwe! Er gibt dir, was dein Herz begehrt.5Lass Jahwe dich führen! / Vertraue ihm, dann handelt er.6Er lässt deine Gerechtigkeit leuchten, / dein Recht wie die Sonne am Mittag.7Sei still vor Jahwe und warte auf ihn! / Reg dich nicht auf über den, dem alles gelingt, / über den, der böse Pläne ausführt.8Steh ab vom Zorn und lass den Grimm! / Reg dich nicht auf! Das führt nur zum Bösen.9Denn die Verbrecher werden vernichtet, / und die auf Jahwe vertrauen, bekommen das Land.10Noch kurze Zeit, dann ist der Gottlose fort, / und du findest keine Spur mehr von ihm.11Den Demütigen gehört dann das Land / und es geht ihnen in jeder Hinsicht wohl.12Der Gottlose plant, dem Gerechten zu schaden, / zähneknirschend, voller Hass.13Der Herr aber lacht über ihn, / denn er weiß: Der Tag der Abrechnung kommt.14Die Bösen haben das Schwert gezogen, / schon ist ihr Bogen gespannt, / um Wehrlose und Arme zu fällen / und aufrechte Menschen zu schlachten.15Doch das Schwert dringt ihnen ins eigene Herz, / und ihre Bogen werden zerbrochen.16Besser arm und gerecht / als reich und gottlos sein.17Denn Jahwe zerbricht die Arme der Bösen, / er stützt nur die, die gerecht vor ihm sind.18Jahwe kennt das Leben der Seinen, / ihr Erbe hat ewig Bestand.19In böser Zeit enttäuscht er sie nicht, / in Hungertagen werden sie satt.20Die Gottlosen gehen zugrunde, / auch die Feinde Jahwes. / Sie vergehen wie Wiesenblumen / und verwehen als Rauch.21Der Böse borgt und zahlt nicht zurück, / doch wer mit Gott lebt, kann freigebig schenken.22Denn wer von Gott gesegnet ist, besitzt das Land; / und wer von ihm verflucht wird, kommt um.23Es ist Jahwe, der die Schritte eines Mannes sicher macht / und sich an dessen Weg erfreut.24Auch wenn er stolpert, stürzt er nicht hin, / denn Jahwe hält ihn fest an der Hand.25Ich war jung und bin nun alt geworden: / Nie sah ich die Gerechten verlassen, / nie ihre Kinder auf der Suche nach Brot.26Immer können sie freigebig leihen / und ihre Kinder werden zum Segen.27Meide das Böse und tue das Gute! / Dann wohnst du für immer im Land.28Denn Jahwe liebt das Recht, / die zu ihm stehen, die verlässt er nicht, / er beschützt sie allezeit. / Doch die Kinder der Sünder kommen um.29Die Gerechten besitzen das Land / und wohnen für immer darin.30Wer Gottes Willen tut, spricht auch Worte der Weisheit; / was er sagt, entspricht dem Recht.31Die Weisung seines Gottes trägt er in sich, / und deshalb stolpert er auch nicht.32Der Gottlose lauert ihm auf / und versucht ihn zu töten.33Doch Jahwe überlässt ihn nicht seiner Hand, / lässt nicht zu, dass er verurteilt wird.34Hoffe auf Jahwe / und bleib auf seinem Weg! / Dann wird er dich ehren / und schenkt dir das Land. / Und du wirst sehen, wie er die Bösen besiegt.35Ich sah einen Gottlosen, bereit zur Gewalt, / der entfaltete sich wie ein mächtiger Baum.36Dann ging ich vorbei, da war nichts mehr da. / Ich suchte ihn, doch ich fand keine Spur.37Achte auf den, der aufrichtig ist, / sieh dir den Ehrlichen an, / denn seine Zukunft wird im Frieden sein.38Doch alle, die Gott verachten, werden ausgelöscht. / Die Zukunft der Gottlosen ist schon vorbei.39Die Rettung der Gerechten kommt von Jahwe. / Er ist ihre Zuflucht in Zeiten der Not.40Jahwe steht ihnen bei und wird sie befreien. / Vor den Bösen bringt er sie in Sicherheit. / Er hilft ihnen, denn bei ihm suchten sie Schutz.
1Don’t be upset because of sinful people. Don’t be jealous of those who do wrong.2Like grass, they will soon dry up. Like green plants, they will soon die.3Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live in the land and enjoy its food.4Find your delight in the LORD. Then he will give you everything your heart really wants.5Commit your life to the LORD. Here is what he will do if you trust in him.6He will make the reward for your godly life shine like the dawn. He will make the proof of your honest life shine like the sun at noon.7Be still and wait patiently for the LORD to act. Don’t be upset when other people succeed. Don’t be upset when they carry out their evil plans.8Turn away from anger and don’t give in to wrath. Don’t be upset, because that only leads to evil.9Sinful people will be destroyed. But those who put their hope in the LORD will receive the land.10In a little while, there won’t be any more sinners. Even if you look for them, you won’t be able to find them.11But those who are free of pride will be given the land. They will enjoy peace and success.12Sinful people make plans to harm those who do what is right. They grind their teeth at them.13But the Lord laughs at those who do evil. He knows the day is coming when he will judge them.14Sinners pull out their swords. They bend their bows. They want to kill poor and needy people. They plan to murder those who lead honest lives.15But they will be killed by their own swords. Their own bows will be broken.16Those who do what is right may have very little. But it’s better than the wealth of many sinners.17The power of those who are evil will be broken. But the LORD takes good care of those who do what is right.18Those who are without blame spend their days in the LORD’s care. What he has given them will last for ever.19When trouble comes to them, they will have what they need. When there is little food in the land, they will still have plenty.20But sinful people will die. The LORD’s enemies may be like flowers in the field. But they will be swallowed up. They will disappear like smoke.21Sinful people borrow and don’t pay back. But those who are godly give freely to others.22The LORD will give the land to those he blesses. But he will destroy those he curses.23The LORD makes secure the footsteps of the person who delights in him,24Even if that person trips, he won’t fall. The LORD’s hand takes good care of him.25I once was young, and now I’m old. But I’ve never seen godly people deserted. I’ve never seen their children begging for bread.26The godly are always giving and lending freely. Their children will be a blessing.27Turn away from evil and do good. Then you will live in the land for ever.28The LORD loves those who are honest. He will not desert those who are faithful to him. Those who do wrong will be completely destroyed. The children of sinners will die.29Those who do what is right will be given the land. They will live in it for ever.30The mouths of those who do what is right speak words of wisdom. They say what is honest.31God’s law is in their hearts. Their feet do not slip.32Those who are evil hide and wait for godly people. They want to kill them.33But the LORD will not leave the godly in their power. He will not let them be found guilty when they are brought into court.34Put your hope in the LORD. Live as he wants you to. He will honour you by giving you the land. When sinners are destroyed, you will see it.35I saw a mean and sinful person. He was doing well, like a green tree in its own land.36But he soon passed away and was gone. Even though I looked for him, I couldn’t find him.37Consider honest people who are without blame. People who seek peace will have a tomorrow.38But all sinners will be destroyed. Those who are evil won’t have a tomorrow.39The LORD saves those who do what is right. He is their place of safety when trouble comes.40The LORD helps them and saves them. He saves them from sinful people because they go to him for safety.
1[1] Of David. Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! (Ps 37,7; Ps 73,3; Spr 3,31; Spr 23,17; Spr 24,1; Spr 24,19)2For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. (Hi 14,2; Hi 27,13; Ps 90,5; Ps 129,6)3Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.[2] (3Mo 26,5; Ps 62,8; Ps 115,9; Spr 2,21; Spr 3,5; Jes 26,4)4Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Hi 22,26; Jes 58,14; Mt 6,33; Phil 3,1; Phil 4,4)5Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. (Ps 22,8; Ps 37,3; Ps 55,22; Spr 16,3; 1Petr 5,7)6He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. (Hi 11,17; Jes 58,8; Jes 58,10; Mi 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; Jes 30,15; Jer 12,1; Kla 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; Spr 2,21; Jes 57,13; Jes 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. (Hi 7,10; Hi 24,24)11But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. (Ps 119,165; Jes 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. (Hi 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. (1Sam 2,4)16Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked. (Spr 15,16; Spr 16,8; 1Tim 6,6)17For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. (Hi 38,15; Ps 10,15; Ps 37,24; Hes 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. (Hi 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; Hos 13,3; Mt 6,30; Jak 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; (1Sam 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; Spr 24,16; Mi 7,8; 2Kor 4,9)25I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. (Hi 15,23; Ps 109,10)26He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing. (5Mo 15,8; 5Mo 15,10; Ps 112,5; Ps 112,9; Mt 5,42; Lk 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; Spr 2,22; Jes 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. (5Mo 6,6; Ps 40,8; Ps 73,2; Ps 119,11; Jes 51,7; Jer 31,33; Röm 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; 2Petr 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] (Hi 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. (Hi 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; Jes 57,2)38But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off. (Hi 18,17; Ps 52,5; Ps 73,17; Ps 104,35; Spr 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. (1Chr 5,20; Ps 11,1; Jes 31,5; Dan 3,17; Dan 3,28; Dan 6,23; Apg 12,11)