Delight Yourself in the LORD (1 Kings 2:1–9)
1 UST This is a psalm of David. Do not let what wicked people do upset you; do not wish that you had what people who do evil things have. BSB BSB: Of David. Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong.
2 UST { Do not worry about them} because they will soon disappear, just as grass dries up{ in the sun} and green plants quickly wither and die. BSB BSB: For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants.
3 UST Trust in Yahweh and do what is right; live in the land{ that he has given you}, and be faithful{ to him}. BSB BSB: Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
4 UST Also, enjoy Yahweh more than anything else; then he will give you what you desire most. BSB BSB: Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
5 UST Entrust everything that you plan to do to Yahweh; trust in him, and then, for his part, he will do{ whatever you need him to do}. BSB BSB: Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it.
6 UST He will show everyone as clearly as the light of the noonday sun that you do what is right and that you are innocent of doing anything wrong. BSB BSB: He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn, your justice like the noonday sun.
7 UST Be calm before Yahweh and wait patiently for him{ to act}. Do not become upset when you see{ evil} people succeed as they do the{ wicked} things that they have planned. 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 UST Stop being angry{ about what wicked people do}; do not want to punish them yourself; that only leads to doing evil. BSB BSB: Refrain from anger and abandon wrath; do not fret—it can only bring harm.
9 UST Do not do that because Yahweh will destroy people who do evil, but as for the people who trust Yahweh to act, they will possess the land. BSB BSB: For the evildoers will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
10 UST Soon wicked people will disappear. You will look for them where they used to be, but they will be gone. BSB BSB: Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 UST Humble people, however, will possess the land and will enjoy living{ there} very peacefully and well. BSB BSB: But the meek will inherit the land and delight in abundant prosperity.
12 UST Wicked people plan to harm people who do what is right. They grind their teeth at people who do what is right{ to show how much they hate them}. BSB BSB: The wicked scheme against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them,
13 UST But the Lord scoffs at wicked people, because he knows that the time when he will judge them is coming. BSB BSB: but the Lord laughs, seeing that their day is coming.
14 UST Wicked people draw their swords and string their bows to kill people who are poor and helpless and to slaughter people who live honestly. 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 UST But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and the Lord will break their bows. BSB BSB: But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.
16 UST It is better to be a person who does what is right and to have only a few possessions than to have the abundant wealth of many wicked people. BSB BSB: Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many who are wicked.
17 UST { This is so} because Yahweh will make wicked people unable to do what they want to do, but he will take care of people who do what is right. BSB BSB: For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.
18 UST Each day Yahweh watches over people who do not do wrong things, and what he gives them will last forever. BSB BSB: The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will last forever.
19 UST During times when bad things happen they will not despair; even when there is a famine, they will still have enough{ to eat}. BSB BSB: In the time of evil they will not be ashamed, and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.
20 UST But wicked people will die. Those who hate Yahweh will be like wildflowers that look beautiful in the meadows; but then they will disappear{ as quickly} as a puff of smoke. 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 UST Wicked people borrow{ money} and never repay{ it}, but people who do what is right are generous and give{ freely to others}. BSB BSB: The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and giving.
22 UST Moreover, those whom Yahweh blesses will possess the land, but he will destroy those whom he has cursed. BSB BSB: Surely those He blesses will inherit the land, but the cursed will be destroyed.
23 UST Yahweh directs a person to live securely, and he is pleased with how that person lives. BSB BSB: The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey.
24 UST Even if something bad happens to that person, he will not completely fail, because Yahweh takes care of him. BSB BSB: Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand.
25 UST I have been young, and now I am old, but{ in all those years} I have never seen Yahweh stop caring for any person who does what is right, nor have I seen such a person’ s children{ needing to} beg for food. 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 UST People who do what is right are generous and lend freely{ to others} every day, and their children bless others. BSB BSB: They are ever generous and quick to lend, and their children are a blessing.
27 UST Avoid doing evil and do what is right. If you do that, you{ and your descendants} will live in the land forever. BSB BSB: Turn away from evil and do good, so that you will abide forever.
28 UST Indeed, Yahweh loves it when people do what is just, and he will never stop caring for those who are faithful to him. He will protect them forever, but he will destroy the descendants of wicked people. 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 UST People who do what is right will possess the land{ that Yahweh gives them} and will live there forever. BSB BSB: The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.
30 UST People who do what is right speak wisely, and they say what is just. BSB BSB: The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
31 UST They continually think about the instructions that their God gave to them; they succeed in living{ the way that God wants them to live}. BSB BSB: The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter.
32 UST Wicked people observe people who do what is right and look for ways to kill them. BSB BSB: Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, and seek to slay them,
33 UST But Yahweh will keep protecting them from what the wicked people want to do to them, and he will not let a judge{ wrongly} condemn the people who do what is right. BSB BSB: the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned under judgment.
34 UST Patiently rely on Yahweh{ to help you} and obey what he commands.{ If you do that,} he will honor you by giving you the land. When God destroys the wicked people, you will see it happen. 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 UST I once saw a wicked and tyrannical person who was becoming powerful, like a large tree that was spreading out its branches over its native soil. BSB BSB: I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree,
36 UST But then he passed away! Suddenly, he was gone! I looked for him, but he was not there. BSB BSB: yet he passed away and was no more; though I searched, he could not be found.
37 UST Observe{ and imitate} people who are honest and who live rightly, because people who live peacefully will have a long life. BSB BSB: Consider the blameless and observe the upright, for posterity awaits the man of peace.
38 UST But Yahweh will destroy all people who rebel against him; he will make the lives of wicked people short. BSB BSB: But the transgressors will all be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.
39 UST Yahweh saves people who do what is right; he protects them when bad things are happening. BSB BSB: The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40 UST Yahweh helps them and rescues them from{ what} wicked people{ want to do to them}. He saves them because they have trusted in him{ to help them}. BSB BSB: The LORD helps and delivers them; He rescues and saves them from the wicked, because they take refuge in Him.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.