| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1By David. Do not fret when wicked men seem to succeed! Do not envy evildoers! | 1Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. |
| 2For they will quickly dry up like grass, and wither away like plants. | 2For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither. |
| 3Trust in the LORD and do what is right! Settle in the land and maintain your integrity! | 3Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. |
| 4Then you will take delight in the LORD, and he will answer your prayers. | 4Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires. |
| 5Commit your future to the LORD! Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf. | 5Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you. |
| 6He will vindicate you in broad daylight, and publicly defend your just cause. | 6He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. |
| 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! | 7Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. |
| 8Do not be angry and frustrated! Do not fret! That only leads to trouble! | 8Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper— it only leads to harm. |
| 9Wicked men will be wiped out, but those who rely on the LORD are the ones who will possess the land. | 9For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the LORD will possess the land. |
| 10Evil men will soon disappear; you will stare at the spot where they once were, but they will be gone. | 10Soon the wicked will disappear. Though you look for them, they will be gone. |
| 11But the oppressed will possess the land and enjoy great prosperity. | 11The lowly will possess the land and will live in peace and prosperity. |
| 12Evil men plot against the godly and viciously attack them. | 12The wicked plot against the godly; they snarl at them in defiance. |
| 13The Lord laughs in disgust at them, for he knows that their day is coming. | 13But the Lord just laughs, for he sees their day of judgment coming. |
| 14Evil men draw their swords and prepare their bows, to bring down the oppressed and needy, and to slaughter those who are godly. | 14The wicked draw their swords and string their bows to kill the poor and the oppressed, to slaughter those who do right. |
| 15Their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. | 15But their swords will stab their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. |
| 16The little bit that a godly man owns is better than the wealth of many evil men, | 16It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich. |
| 17for evil men will lose their power, but the LORD sustains the godly. | 17For the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the LORD takes care of the godly. |
| 18The LORD watches over the innocent day by day and they possess a permanent inheritance. | 18Day by day the LORD takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever. |
| 19They will not be ashamed when hard times come; when famine comes they will have enough to eat. | 19They will not be disgraced in hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough. |
| 20But evil men will die; the LORD's enemies will be incinerated--they will go up in smoke. | 20But the wicked will die. The LORD’s enemies are like flowers in a field— they will disappear like smoke. |
| 21Evil men borrow, but do not repay their debt, but the godly show compassion and are generous. | 21The wicked borrow and never repay, but the godly are generous givers. |
| 22Surely those favored by the LORD will possess the land, but those rejected by him will be wiped out. | 22Those the LORD blesses will possess the land, but those he curses will die. |
| 23The LORD grants success to the one whose behavior he finds commendable. | 23The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. |
| 24Even if he trips, he will not fall headlong, for the LORD holds his hand. | 24Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand. |
| 25I was once young, now I am old. I have never seen a godly man abandoned, or his children forced to search for food. | 25Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread. |
| 26All day long he shows compassion and lends to others, and his children are blessed. | 26The godly always give generous loans to others, and their children are a blessing. |
| 27Turn away from evil! Do what is right! Then you will enjoy lasting security. | 27Turn from evil and do good, and you will live in the land forever. |
| 28For the LORD promotes justice, and never abandons his faithful followers. They are permanently secure, but the children of evil men are wiped out. | 28For the LORD loves justice, and he will never abandon the godly. He will keep them safe forever, but the children of the wicked will die. |
| 29The godly will possess the land and will dwell in it permanently. | 29The godly will possess the land and will live there forever. |
| 30The godly speak wise words and promote justice. | 30The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong. |
| 31The law of their God controls their thinking; their feet do not slip. | 31They have made God’s law their own, so they will never slip from his path. |
| 32Evil men set an ambush for the godly and try to kill them. | 32The wicked wait in ambush for the godly, looking for an excuse to kill them. |
| 33But the LORD does not surrender the godly, or allow them to be condemned in a court of law. | 33But the LORD will not let the wicked succeed or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial. |
| 34Rely on the LORD! Obey his commands! Then he will permit you to possess the land; you will see the demise of evil men. | 34Put your hope in the LORD. Travel steadily along his path. He will honor you by giving you the land. You will see the wicked destroyed. |
| 35I have seen ruthless evil men growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil. | 35I have seen wicked and ruthless people flourishing like a tree in its native soil. |
| 36But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared! I looked for them, but they could not be found. | 36But when I looked again, they were gone! Though I searched for them, I could not find them! |
| 37Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly! For the one who promotes peace has a future. | 37Look at those who are honest and good, for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace. |
| 38Sinful rebels are totally destroyed; evil men have no future. | 38But the rebellious will be destroyed; they have no future. |
| 39But the LORD delivers the godly; he protects them in times of trouble. | 39The LORD rescues the godly; he is their fortress in times of trouble. |
| 40The LORD helps them and rescues them; he rescues them from evil men and delivers them, for they seek his protection. | 40The LORD helps them, rescuing them from the wicked. He saves them, and they find shelter in him. |
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