New Living Translation NLT
English Standard Version ESV
1 Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong.
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Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither.
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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 good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
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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 everything you do to the LORD . Trust him, and he will help you.
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Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
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He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
7 Be 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.
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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 Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper— it only leads to harm.
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Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the LORD will possess 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 Soon the wicked will disappear. Though you look for them, they will be gone.
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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 The lowly will possess the land and will live in peace and prosperity.
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But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
12 The wicked plot against the godly; they snarl at them in defiance.
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The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him,
13 But the Lord just laughs, for he sees their day of judgment coming.
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but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.
14 The wicked draw their swords and string their bows to kill the poor and the oppressed, to slaughter those who do right.
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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 But their swords will stab 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 It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich.
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Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the LORD takes care of the godly.
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For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18 Day by day the LORD takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts 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 hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough.
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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 die. The LORD ’s enemies are like flowers in a field— they will disappear 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 borrow and never repay, but the godly are generous givers.
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The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives;
22 Those the LORD blesses will possess the land, but those he curses will die.
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for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
23 The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
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The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way;
24 Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.
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though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.
25 Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for 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 The godly always give generous loans to others, and their children are a blessing.
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He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.
27 Turn from evil and do good, and you will live in the land forever.
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Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever.
28 For 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.
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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 godly will possess the land and will live there forever.
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The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.
30 The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong.
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The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
31 They have made God’s law their own, so they will never slip from his path.
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The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.
32 The wicked wait in ambush for the godly, looking for an excuse to kill them.
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The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death.
33 But the LORD will not let the wicked succeed or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial.
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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 Put 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.
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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 wicked and ruthless people flourishing like a tree in its native soil.
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I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
36 But when I looked again, they were gone! Though I searched for them, I could not find them!
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But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found.
37 Look at those who are honest and good, for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.
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Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.
38 But the rebellious will be destroyed; they have no future.
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But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 The LORD rescues the godly; he is their fortress in times of trouble.
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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 them, rescuing them from the wicked. He saves them, and they find shelter 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.