Don't Fret Because of Evildoers

(1 Kings 2:1-9)

1A psalm for David himself.

א

Be not emulous of evildoers; nor envy them that work iniquity.

2For they shall shortly wither away as grass, and as the green herbs shall quickly fall.

ב

3Trust in the Lord, and do good, and dwell in the land, and thou shalt be fed with its riches.

4Delight in the Lord, and he will give thee the requests of thy heart.

ג

5Commit thy way to the Lord, and trust in him, and he will do it.

6And he will bring forth thy justice as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

ד

7Be subject to the Lord and pray to him Envy not the man who prospereth in his way; the man who doth unjust things.

ה

8Cease from anger, and leave rage; have no emulation to do evil.

9For the evildoers shall be cut off : but they that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the land.

ו

10For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be : and thou shalt seek his place, and shalt not find it.

11But the meek shall inherit the land, and shall delight in abundance of peace.

ז

12The sinner shall watch the just man : and shall gnash upon him with his teeth.

13But the Lord shall laugh at him : for he foreseeth that his day shall come.

ח

14The wicked have drawn out the sword : they have bent their bow. To cast down the poor and needy, to kill the upright of heart.

15Let their sword enter into their own hearts, and let their bow be broken.

ט

16Better is a little to the just, than the great riches of the wicked.

17For the arms of the wicked shall be broken in pieces; but the Lord strengtheneth the just.

י

18The Lord knoweth the days of undefiled; and their inheritance shall be for ever.

19They shall not be confounded in the evil time; and in the days of famine they shall be filled :

כ

20because the wicked shall perish. And the enemies of the Lord, presently after they shall be honoured and exalted, shall come to nothing and vanish like smoke.

ל

21The sinner shall borrow, and not pay again; but the just sheweth mercy and shall give.

22For such as bless him shall inherit the land : but such as curse him shall perish.

מ

23With the Lord shall the steps of a man be directed, and he shall like well his way.

24When he shall fall he shall not be bruised, for the Lord putteth his hand under him.

נ

25I have been young, and now am old; and I have not seen the just forsaken, nor his seed seeking bread.

26He sheweth mercy, and lendeth all the day long; and his seed shall be in blessing.

ס

27Decline from evil and do good, and dwell for ever and ever.

28For the Lord loveth judgment, and will not forsake his saints : they shall be preserved for ever. The unjust shall be punished, and the seed of the wicked shall perish.

29But the just shall inherit the land, and shall dwell therein for evermore.

פ

30The mouth of the just shall meditate wisdom : and his tongue shall speak judgment.

31The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps shall not be supplanted.

צ

32The wicked watcheth the just man, and seeketh to put him to death,

33But the Lord will not leave in his hands; nor condemn him when he shall be judged.

ק

34Expect the Lord and keep his way : and he will exalt thee to inherit the land : when the sinners shall perish thou shalt see.

ר

35I have seen the wicked highly exalted, and lifted up like the cedars of Libanus.

36And I passed by, and lo, he was not : and I sought him and his place was not found.

ש

37Keep innocence, and behold justice : for there are remnants for the peaceable man.

38But the unjust shall be destroyed together : the remnants of the wicked shall perish.

ת

39But the salvation of the just is from the Lord, and he is their protector in the time of trouble.

40And the Lord will help them and deliver them : and he will rescue them from the wicked, and save them, because they have hoped in him.