1 A Psalme of David. Fret not thy selfe because of the wicked men, neither be enuious for the euill doers. 2 For they shall soone bee cut downe like grasse, and shall wither as the greene herbe. 3 Trust thou in the Lord and do good: dwell in the land, and thou shalt be fed assuredly. 4 And delite thy selfe in the Lord, and hee shall giue thee thine hearts desire. 5 Commit thy way vnto the Lord, and trust in him, and he shall bring it to passe. 6 And he shall bring foorth thy righteousnes as the light, and thy iudgement as the noone day. 7 Waite patiently vpon the Lord and hope in him: fret not thy selfe for him which prospereth in his way: nor for the man that bringeth his enterprises to passe. 8 Cease from anger, and leaue off wrath: fret not thy selfe also to doe euill. 9 For euill doers shalbe cut off, and they that wait vpon the Lord, they shall inherite the land. 10 Therefore yet a litle while, and the wicked shall not appeare, and thou shalt looke after his place, and he shall not be found. 11 But meeke men shall possesse the earth, and shall haue their delite in the multitude of peace. 12 The wicked practiseth against the iust, and gnasheth his teeth against him. 13 But the Lord shall laugh him to scorne: for he seeth, that his day is comming. 14 The wicked haue drawen their sworde, and haue bent their bowe, to cast downe the poore and needie, and to slay such as be of vpright conuersation. 15 But their sword shall enter into their owne heart, and their bowes shalbe broken. 16 A small thing vnto the iust man is better, then great riches to the wicked and mightie. 17 For the armes of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord vpholdeth the iust men. 18 The Lord knoweth the dayes of vpright men, and their inheritance shall bee perpetuall. 19 They shall not be confounded in the perilous time, and in the daies of famine they shall haue ynough. 20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be consumed as the fatte of lambes: euen with the smoke shall they consume away. 21 The wicked boroweth and payeth not againe. but the righteous is mercifull, and giueth. 22 For such as be blessed of God, shall inherite the lande, and they that be cursed of him, shalbe cut off. 23 The pathes of man are directed by the Lord: for he loueth his way. 24 Though he fall, hee shall not be cast off: for the Lord putteth vnder his hand. 25 I haue beene yong, and am olde: yet I sawe neuer the righteous forsaken, nor his seede begging bread. 26 But hee is euer mercifull and lendeth, and his seede enioyeth the blessing. 27 Flee from euill and doe good, and dwell for euer. 28 For the Lord loueth iudgement, and forsaketh not his Saintes: they shall be preserued for euermore: but the seede of the wicked shall be cut off. 29 The righteous men shall inherit the lande, and dwell therein for euer. 30 The mouth of the righteous will speake of wisedome, and his tongue will talke of iudgement. 31 For the Lawe of his God is in his heart, and his steppes shall not slide. 32 The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him. 33 But the Lord wil not leaue him in his hand, nor condemne him, when he is iudged. 34 Waite thou on the Lord, and keepe his way, and he shall exalt thee, that thou shalt inherite the lande: when the wicked men shall perish, thou shalt see. 35 I haue seene the wicked strong, and spreading himselfe like a greene bay tree. 36 Yet he passed away, and loe, he was gone, and I sought him, but he could not be founde. 37 Marke the vpright man, and beholde the iust: for the end of that man is peace. 38 But the transgressours shall be destroyed together, and the ende of the wicked shall bee cut off. 39 But the saluation of the righteous men shalbe of the Lord: he shalbe their strength in the time of trouble. 40 For the Lord shall helpe them, and deliuer them: he shall deliuer them from the wicked, and shall saue them, because they trust in him.
The Destiny of the Wicked and of the Good
1 Don't be worried on account of the wicked;
don't be jealous of those who do wrong.
2 They will soon disappear like grass that dries up;
they will die like plants that wither.
3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
live in the land and be safe.
4 Seek your happiness in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart's desire.
5 Give yourself to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will help you;
6 he will make your righteousness shine like the noonday sun.
7 Be patient and wait for the Lord to act;
don't be worried about those who prosper
or those who succeed in their evil plans.
8 Don't give in to worry or anger;
it only leads to trouble.
9 Those who trust in the Lord will possess the land,
but the wicked will be driven out.
10 Soon the wicked will disappear;
you may look for them, but you won't find them;
11 but the humble will possess the land
and enjoy prosperity and peace.
12 The wicked plot against good people
and glare at them with hate.
13 But the Lord laughs at wicked people,
because he knows they will soon be destroyed.
14 The wicked draw their swords and bend their bows
to kill the poor and needy,
to slaughter those who do what is right;
15 but they will be killed by their own swords,
and their bows will be smashed.
16 The little that a good person owns
is worth more than the wealth of all the wicked,
17 because the Lord will take away the strength of the wicked,
but protect those who are good.
18 The Lord takes care of those who obey him,
and the land will be theirs forever.
19 They will not suffer when times are bad;
they will have enough in time of famine.
20 But the wicked will die;
the enemies of the Lord will vanish like wild flowers;
they will disappear like smoke.
21 The wicked borrow and never pay back,
but good people are generous with their gifts.
22 Those who are blessed by the Lord will possess the land,
but those who are cursed by him will be driven out.
23 The Lord guides us in the way we should go
and protects those who please him.
24 If they fall, they will not stay down,
because the Lord will help them up.
25 I am old now; I have lived a long time,
but I have never seen good people abandoned by the Lord
or their children begging for food.
26 At all times they give freely and lend to others,
and their children are a blessing.
27 Turn away from evil and do good,
and your descendants will always live in the land;
28 for the Lord loves what is right
and does not abandon his faithful people.
He protects them forever,
but the descendants of the wicked will be driven out.
29 The righteous will possess the land
and live in it forever.
30 The words of good people are wise,
and they are always fair.
31 They keep the law of their God in their hearts
and never depart from it.
32 Wicked people watch good people
and try to kill them;
33 but the Lord will not abandon them to their enemy's power
or let them be condemned when they are on trial.
34 Put your hope in the Lord and obey his commands;
he will honor you by giving you the land,
and you will see the wicked driven out.
35 I once knew someone wicked who was a tyrant;
he towered over everyone like a cedar of Lebanon;
36 but later I passed by, and he wasn't there;
I looked for him, but couldn't find him.
37 Notice good people, observe the righteous;
peaceful people have descendants,
38 but sinners are completely destroyed,
and their descendants are wiped out.
39 The Lord saves the righteous
and protects them in times of trouble.
40 He helps them and rescues them;
he saves them from the wicked,
because they go to him for protection.