Book 1
     4   Depend upon the Lord,
  and he will grant you your heart's desire.
   5   Commit your life to the Lord;
trust in him and he will act.
   6   He will make your righteousness shine clear as the day
    and the justice of your cause like the sun at noon.
   7   Wait quietly for the Lord, be patient till he comes;
    do not strive to outdo the successful
    nor envy him who gains his ends.
8   Be angry no more, have done with wrath;
    strive not to outdo in evildoing.
     9   For evildoers will be destroyed,
  but they who hope in the Lord shall possess the land.
   10   A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
look well, and you will find their place is empty.
   11   But the humble shall possess the land
  and enjoy untold prosperity.
   12   The wicked mutter against the righteous man
  and grind their teeth at the sight of him;
   13   the Lord shall laugh at them,
  for he sees that their time is coming.
   14   The wicked have drawn their swords
    and strung their bows
  to bring low the poor and needy
    and to slaughter honest men.
   15   Their swords shall pierce their own hearts
    and their bows be broken.
   16   Better is the little which the righteous has
    than the great wealth of the wicked.
   17   For the strong arm of the wicked shall be broken,
  but the Lord upholds the righteous.
   18   The Lord knows each day of the good man's life,
  and his inheritance shall last for ever.
     19   When times are bad, he shall not be distressed,
    and in days of famine he shall have enough.
     20   But the wicked shall perish,
  and their children shall beg their bread. ^note
  The enemies of the Lord, like fuel in a furnace, ^note
    are consumed in smoke.
   21   The wicked man borrows and does not pay back,
  but the righteous is a generous giver.

Book 1
22   All whom the Lord has blessed shall possess the land,
    and all who are cursed by him shall be destroyed.
   23   It is the Lord who directs a man's steps,
    he holds him firm and watches over his path.
     24   Though he may fall, he will not go headlong,
  for the Lord grasps him by the hand.
   25   I have been young and am now grown old,
  and never have I seen a righteous man forsaken. ^note
   26   Day in, day out, he lends generously,
    and his children become a blessing.
27   Turn from evil and do good,
    and live at peace for ever;
   28   for the Lord is a lover of justice
    and will not forsake his loyal servants.
  The lawless ^note are banished for ever
    and the children of the wicked destroyed.
   29   The righteous shall possess the land
  and shall live there at peace for ever.
   30   The righteous man utters words of wisdom
  and justice is always on his lips.
     31   The law of his God is in his heart,
    his steps do not falter.
   32   The wicked watch for the righteous man
    and seek to take his life;
   33   but the Lord will not leave him in their power
    nor let him be condemned before his judges.
34   Wait for the Lord and hold to his way;
    he will keep you ^note safe from wicked men ^note
  and will raise you to be master of the land.
When the wicked are destroyed, you shall be there to see.
   35   I have watched a wicked man at his work,
  rank as a spreading tree in its native soil.
   36   I ^note passed by one day, and he was gone;
    I searched for him, but he could not be found.
37   Now look at the good man, watch him who is honest,
  for the man of peace leaves descendants;
   38   but transgressors are wiped out one and all,
    and the descendants of the wicked are destroyed.
39   Deliverance for the righteous comes from the Lord,
    their refuge in time of trouble.

Book 1
   40   The Lord will help them and deliver them; ^note
  he will save them because they seek shelter with him.

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