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Security of Those Who Trust in the LORD, and Insecurity of the Wicked.

^1 (F1)(C1)Do not worry because of evildoers,
Nor be ^(C2)envious toward wrongdoers;

² For they will ^(C1)wither quickly like the grass,
And ^(C2)fade like the green herb.

^3 (C1)Trust rely on and have confidence in the LORD and do good;
^(C2)Dwell in the land and ^(C3)feed securely on His faithfulness.

^4 (C1)Delight yourself in the LORD,
And He will ^(C2)give you the desires and petitions of your heart.

^5 (C1)Commit your way to the LORD;
Trust in Him also and He will do it.

⁶ He will make ^(C1)your righteousness your pursuit of right standing with God like the light,
And your judgment ^(C2)like the shining of the noonday sun.

⁷ Be still before the LORD; ^(C1)wait patiently for Him and entrust yourself to Him;
^(C2)Do not fret (whine, agonize) because of him who ^(C3)prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.

⁸ Cease from anger and ^(C1)abandon wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evil.

⁹ For ^(C1)those who do evil will be cut off,
But those who wait for the LORD, they will ^(C2)inherit the land. ^(VR1)

¹⁰ For yet ^(C1)a little while and the wicked one will be gone forever;
Though you look carefully ^(C2)where he used to be, he will not be found. ^(VR1)

¹¹ But ^(C1)the humble will at last inherit the land
And will delight themselves in ^(C2)abundant prosperity and peace. ^(VR1)

¹² The wicked ^(C1)plots against the righteous
And ^(C2)gnashes at him with his teeth.

¹³ The Lord ^(C1)laughs at him the wicked one—the one who oppresses the righteous,
For He sees that ^(C2)his day of defeat is coming.

¹⁴ The wicked have drawn the sword and ^(C1)bent their bow
To cast down the ^(C2)afflicted and the needy,
To ^(C3)slaughter those who are upright in conduct those with personal integrity and godly character.

¹⁵ The sword of the ungodly will enter their own heart,
And their ^(C1)bow will be broken.

^16 (C1)Better is the little of the righteous who seek the will of God
Than the abundance (riches) of many wicked (godless). ^(VR1)

¹⁷ For the ^(C1)arms of the wicked will be broken,
But the LORD ^(C2)upholds and sustains the righteous who seek Him.

¹⁸ The LORD ^(C1)knows the days of the blameless,
And their ^(C2)inheritance will continue forever.

¹⁹ They will not be ^(F1)ashamed in the time of evil,
And ^(C1)in the days of famine they will have plenty and be satisfied.

²⁰ But the ^(C1)wicked (ungodly) will perish,
And the enemies of the LORD will be like the ^(F1)glory of the pastures and like the fat of lambs that is consumed in smoke,
They vanish—^(C2)like smoke they vanish away.

²¹ The wicked borrows and does not pay back,
But the righteous ^(C1)is gracious and kind and gives.

²² For ^(C1)those blessed by God will at last ^(C2)inherit the land,
But those ^(C3)cursed by Him will be cut off. ^(VR1)

^23 (C1)The steps of a good and righteous man are directed and established by the LORD,
And He ^(C2)delights in his way and blesses his path.

²⁴ When ^(C1)he falls, he will not be hurled down,
Because ^(C2)the LORD is the One who holds his hand and sustains him.

²⁵ I have been young and now I am old,
Yet ^(C1)I have not seen the righteous (those in right standing with God) abandoned
Or ^(C2)his descendants pleading for bread.

²⁶ All day long ^(C1)he is gracious and lends,
And ^(C2)his descendants are a blessing.

^27 (C1)Depart from evil and do good;
And you will dwell securely in the land ^(C2)forever.

²⁸ For the LORD ^(C1)delights in justice
And ^(C2)does not abandon His saints (faithful ones);
They are ^(C3)preserved forever,
But the ^(C4)descendants of the wicked will in time be cut off.

²⁹ The righteous will ^(C1)inherit the land
And ^(C2)live in it forever.

³⁰ The mouth of the righteous ^(C1)proclaims wisdom,
And his tongue ^(C2)speaks justice and truth.

³¹ The ^(C1)law of his God is in his heart;
Not one of his ^(C2)steps will slip.

³² The ^(C1)wicked lies in wait for the righteous
And ^(C2)seeks to kill him.

³³ The LORD will ^(C1)not leave him in his hand
Or let him be ^(C2)condemned when he is judged.

^34 (C1)Wait for and expect the LORD and keep His way,
And He will exalt you to inherit the land;
In the end when the ^(C2)wicked are cut off, you will see it.

³⁵ I have ^(C1)seen a wicked, violent man with great power
Spreading and flaunting himself like a ^(C2)cedar in its native soil,

³⁶ Yet he passed away, and lo, he ^(C1)was no more;
I sought him, but he could not be found.

³⁷ Mark the ^(C1)blameless man who is spiritually complete, and behold the ^(C2)upright who walks in moral integrity;
There is a good ^(C3)future for the man of peace because a life of honor blesses one's descendants.

³⁸ As for transgressors, they will be ^(C1)completely destroyed;
The future of the wicked will be ^(C2)cut off.

³⁹ But the ^(C1)salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
He is their refuge and stronghold ^(C2)in the time of trouble.

^40 (C1)The LORD helps them and rescues them;
He ^(C2)rescues them from the wicked and saves them,
Because they ^(C3)take refuge in Him.