Holman Christian Standard Bible CSB
English Standard Version ESV
1 Do not be agitated by evildoers; do not envy those who do wrong.
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Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender green plants.
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For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord and do what is good; dwell in the land and live securely.
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Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart's desires.
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Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act,
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Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
6 making your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday.
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He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
7 Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him; do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the man who carries out evil plans.
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Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
8 Refrain from anger and give up [your] rage; do not be agitated-it can only bring harm.
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Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 For evildoers will be destroyed, but those who put their hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
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For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for him, he will not be there.
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In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
11 But the humble will inherit the land and will enjoy abundant prosperity.
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But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
12 The wicked schemes against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him.
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The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him,
13 The Lord laughs at him because He sees that his day is coming.
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but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn the sword and strung the bow to bring down the afflicted and needy and to slaughter those whose way is upright.
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The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright;
15 Their swords will enter their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.
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their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
16 Better the little that the righteous man has than the abundance of many wicked people.
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Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord supports the righteous.
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For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18 The Lord watches over the blameless all their days, and their inheritance will last forever.
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The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever;
19 They will not be disgraced in times of adversity; they will be satisfied in days of hunger.
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they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance.
20 But the wicked will perish; the Lord's enemies, like the glory of the pastures, will fade away- they will fade away like smoke.
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But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
21 The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous is gracious and giving.
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The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives;
22 Those who are blessed by Him will inherit the land, but those cursed by Him will be destroyed.
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for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
23 A man's steps are established by the Lord, and He takes pleasure in his way.
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The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way;
24 Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, because the Lord holds his hand.
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though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.
25 I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned or his children begging bread.
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I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.
26 He is always generous, always lending, and his children are a blessing.
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He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.
27 Turn away from evil and do what is good, and dwell there forever.
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Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever.
28 For the Lord loves justice and will not abandon His faithful ones. They are kept safe forever, but the children of the wicked will be destroyed.
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For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it permanently.
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The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom; his tongue speaks what is just.
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The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
31 The instruction of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter.
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The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.
32 The wicked lies in wait for the righteous and seeks to kill him;
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The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death.
33 the Lord will not leave him in his hand or allow him to be condemned when he is judged.
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The Lord will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
34 Wait for the Lord and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land. You will watch when the wicked are destroyed.
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Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
35 I have seen a wicked, violent man well-rooted like a flourishing native tree.
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I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
36 Then I passed by and noticed he was gone; I searched for him, but he could not be found.
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But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found.
37 Watch the blameless and observe the upright, for the man of peace will have a future.
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Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.
38 But transgressors will all be eliminated; the future of the wicked will be destroyed.
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But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord, their refuge in a time of distress.
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The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps and delivers them; He will deliver them from the wicked and will save them because they take refuge in Him.
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The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
Holman Christian Standard Bible ® Copyright © 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025