Delight Yourself in the LORD (1 Kings 2:1–9)
1 CPDV A Psalm of David himself. Do not choose to imitate the malicious; neither should you envy those who work iniquity. BSB BSB: Of David. Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong.
2 CPDV For they will quickly wither away like dry grass, and in like manner to kitchen herbs, they will soon droop. BSB BSB: For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants.
3 CPDV Hope in the Lord and do good, and dwell in the land, and so you shall be pastured with its riches. BSB BSB: Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
4 CPDV Delight in the Lord, and he will grant to you the petitions of your heart. BSB BSB: Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
5 CPDV Reveal your way to the Lord, and hope in him, and he will accomplish it. BSB BSB: Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it.
6 CPDV And he will bring forth your justice like the light, and your judgment like the midday. BSB BSB: He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn, your justice like the noonday sun.
7 CPDV Be subject to the Lord and pray to him. Do not choose to compete with him who prospers in his way, with the man who does injustice. BSB BSB: Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men prosper in their ways, when they carry out wicked schemes.
8 CPDV Cease from wrath and leave behind rage. Do not choose to imitate the malicious. BSB BSB: Refrain from anger and abandon wrath; do not fret—it can only bring harm.
9 CPDV For those who are malicious will be exterminated. But those who remain with the Lord, these will inherit the land. BSB BSB: For the evildoers will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
10 CPDV Yet still a little while, and the sinner will not be. And you will search his place and find nothing. BSB BSB: Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 CPDV But the meek shall inherit the earth, and they will delight in the multitude of peace. BSB BSB: But the meek will inherit the land and delight in abundant prosperity.
12 CPDV The sinner will observe the just, and he will gnash his teeth over him. BSB BSB: The wicked scheme against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them,
13 CPDV But the Lord will laugh at him: for he knows in advance that his day will come. BSB BSB: but the Lord laughs, seeing that their day is coming.
14 CPDV The sinners have drawn the sword, they have bent their bow, so as to cast down the poor and the needy, so as to massacre the upright of heart. BSB BSB: The wicked have drawn the sword and bent the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 CPDV Let their sword enter into their own hearts, and let their bow be broken. BSB BSB: But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.
16 CPDV A little is better to the just than the many riches of sinners. BSB BSB: Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many who are wicked.
17 CPDV For the arms of sinners will be crushed, but the Lord confirms the just. BSB BSB: For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.
18 CPDV The Lord knows the days of the immaculate, and their inheritance will be in eternity. BSB BSB: The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will last forever.
19 CPDV They will not be confounded in an evil time; and in days of famine, they will be satisfied: BSB BSB: In the time of evil they will not be ashamed, and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.
20 CPDV for sinners will perish. Truly, the adversaries of the Lord, soon after they have been honored and exalted, will fade away, in the same way that smoke fades away. BSB BSB: But the wicked and enemies of the LORD will perish like the glory of the fields. They will vanish; like smoke they will fade away.
21 CPDV The sinner will lend and not release, but the just one shows compassion and donates. BSB BSB: The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and giving.
22 CPDV For those who bless him will inherit the earth, but those who curse him will perish. BSB BSB: Surely those He blesses will inherit the land, but the cursed will be destroyed.
23 CPDV The steps of a man will be directed by the Lord, and he will choose his way. BSB BSB: The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey.
24 CPDV When he falls, he will not be harmed, because the Lord places his hand under him. BSB BSB: Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand.
25 CPDV I have been young, and now I am old; and I have not seen the just forsaken, nor his offspring seeking bread. BSB BSB: I once was young and now am old, yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned or their children begging for bread.
26 CPDV He shows compassion and lends, all day long, and his offspring will be in blessing. BSB BSB: They are ever generous and quick to lend, and their children are a blessing.
27 CPDV Turn away from evil and do good, and dwell forever and ever. BSB BSB: Turn away from evil and do good, so that you will abide forever.
28 CPDV For the Lord loves judgment, and he will not abandon his saints. They will be kept safe in eternity. The unjust will be punished, and the offspring of the impious will perish. BSB BSB: For the LORD loves justice and will not forsake His saints. They are preserved forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off.
29 CPDV But the just will inherit the earth, and they will dwell upon it forever and ever. BSB BSB: The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.
30 CPDV The mouth of the just one will express wisdom, and his tongue will speak judgment. BSB BSB: The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
31 CPDV The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps shall not be supplanted. BSB BSB: The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter.
32 CPDV The sinner considers the just one and seeks to put him to death. BSB BSB: Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, and seek to slay them,
33 CPDV But the Lord will not abandon him into his hands, nor condemn him, when he will be judged. BSB BSB: the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned under judgment.
34 CPDV Wait for the Lord, and keep to his way. And he will exalt you, so as to inherit the land that you may seize. When the sinners will have passed away, then you shall see. BSB BSB: Wait for the LORD and keep His way, and He will raise you up to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
35 CPDV I have seen the impious over-exalted, and lifted up like the cedars of Lebanon. BSB BSB: I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree,
36 CPDV And I passed by, and behold, he was not. And I sought him, and his place was not found. BSB BSB: yet he passed away and was no more; though I searched, he could not be found.
37 CPDV Keep to innocence, and gaze upon fairness: because there are allotments for the peaceful man. BSB BSB: Consider the blameless and observe the upright, for posterity awaits the man of peace.
38 CPDV But the unjust will be destroyed together: the allotments of the impious will pass away. BSB BSB: But the transgressors will all be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.
39 CPDV But the salvation of the just is from the Lord, and he is their protector in time of tribulation. BSB BSB: The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40 CPDV And the Lord will help them and free them. And he will rescue them from sinners and save them, because they have hoped in him. BSB BSB: The LORD helps and delivers them; He rescues and saves them from the wicked, because they take refuge in Him.
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