*By David. Do not fret when wicked men seem to succeed! Do not envy evildoers!*For they will quickly dry up like grass, and wither away like plants. *Trust in the Lord and do what is right! Settle in the land and maintain your integrity! *Then you will take delight in the Lord, and he will answer your prayers. *Commit your future to the Lord! Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf. *He will vindicate you in broad daylight, and publicly defend your just cause. *Wait 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!*Do not be angry and frustrated! Do not fret! That only leads to trouble!*Wicked men will be wiped out, but those who rely on the Lord are the ones who will possess the land. *Evil men will soon disappear; you will stare at the spot where they once were, but they will be gone. *But the oppressed will possess the land and enjoy great prosperity. *Evil men plot against the godly and viciously attack them. *The Lord laughs in disgust at them, for he knows that their day is coming. *Evil men draw their swords and prepare their bows, to bring down the oppressed and needy, and to slaughter those who are godly. *Their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.*The little bit that a godly man owns is better than the wealth of many evil men, *for evil men will lose their power, but the Lord sustains the godly.*The Lord watches over the innocent day by day and they possess a permanent inheritance. *They will not be ashamed when hard times come; when famine comes they will have enough to eat. *But evil men will die; the Lord’s enemies will be incinerated – they will go up in smoke. *Evil men borrow, but do not repay their debt, but the godly show compassion and are generous. *Surely those favored by the Lord will possess the land, but those rejected by him will be wiped out. *The Lord grants success to the one whose behavior he finds commendable. *Even if he trips, he will not fall headlong, for the Lord holds his hand.*I was once young, now I am old. I have never seen a godly man abandoned, or his children forced to search for food. *All day long he shows compassion and lends to others, and his children are blessed.*Turn away from evil! Do what is right! Then you will enjoy lasting security. *For the Lord promotes justice, and never abandons his faithful followers. They are permanently secure, but the children of evil men are wiped out. *The godly will possess the land and will dwell in it permanently.*The godly speak wise words and promote justice. *The law of their God controls their thinking; their feet do not slip.*Evil men set an ambush for the godly and try to kill them. *But the Lord does not surrender the godly, or allow them to be condemned in a court of law. *Rely on the Lord! Obey his commands! Then he will permit you to possess the land; you will see the demise of evil men. *I have seen ruthless evil men growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil. *But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared! I looked for them, but they could not be found.*Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly! For the one who promotes peace has a future. *Sinful rebels are totally destroyed; evil men have no future. *But the Lord delivers the godly; he protects them in times of trouble. *The Lord helps them and rescues them; he rescues them from evil men and delivers them, for they seek his protection.
