[1] Don’t get upset at evil people. Don’t be jealous of people who do bad things.
[2] Evil people are like grass and green plants that quickly turn brown and die.
[3] If you trust the Lord and do good things, you will live and enjoy the many things that the land gives.
[4] Enjoy serving the Lord, and he will give you what you want.
[5] Depend on the Lord. Trust him, and he will do what must be done.
[6] Let your goodness and fairness shine like the sun at noon.
[7] Trust the Lord and wait for his help. Don’t be upset when bad people succeed. Don’t be upset when bad people make evil plans and their plans succeed.
[8] Don’t be angry! Don’t get mad! Don’t become so upset that you also want to do bad things.
[9] Why? Because evil people will be destroyed. But people that call to the Lord for help will get the land ˻God promised˼.
[10] In a short time there will be no more evil people. You might look for those people, but they will all be gone!
[11] Humble people will get the land ˻God promised˼. And they will enjoy peace.
[12] Evil people plan bad things against good people. Those evil people show they are angry by grinding their teeth at good people.
[13] But our Master laughs at those evil people. He sees what will happen to them.
[14] Bad people get their swords and aim their bows. They want to kill poor, helpless people. They want to kill good, honest people.
[15] But their bows will break. Their swords will go into their own hearts.
[16] A few good people are better than a large crowd of evil people.
[17] Why? Because evil people will be destroyed. But the Lord cares for good people.
[18] The Lord protects pure people all their life. Their reward will continue forever.
[19] When trouble comes, good people will not be destroyed. When times of hunger come, good people will have plenty to eat.
[20] But evil people are the Lord’s enemies, and those evil people will be destroyed. Their valleys will become dry and burn. They will be completely destroyed.
[21] An evil man quickly borrows money and never pays it back. But a good man gives freely to other people.
[22] If a good person blesses people, then they will get the land ˻God promised˼. But if he asks for bad things to happen, then those people will be destroyed.
[23] The Lord helps a soldier walk carefully. The Lord keeps the soldier from falling.
[24] If the soldier runs and attacks his enemy, then the Lord holds the soldier’s hand, and keeps him from falling.
[25] I was young, and now I am old. And I have never seen God abandon good people. I have never seen good people’s children begging for food.
[26] A good man gives freely to other people. And a good man’s children are a blessing.
[27] If you refuse to do bad things, and if you do good things, then you will live forever.
[28] The Lord loves fairness. He will not leave his followers without help. The Lord will always protect his followers, but he will destroy wicked people.
[29] Good people will get the land ˻God promised˼. They will live on it forever.
[30] A good person gives good advice. His decisions are fair to every person.
[31] He has learned the Lord’s teachings. And he will never stop living right.
[32] But bad people are always looking for ways to kill good people.
[33] The Lord will not abandon good people when they are trapped by bad people. God will not let good people be judged guilty.
[34] Do what the Lord says and wait for his help. The Lord will make you the winner, and you will get the land ˻God promised˼, when he forces the bad people to leave.
[35] I saw a wicked person that was powerful. He was like a strong, healthy tree.
[36] But then he was gone. I looked for him, but I couldn’t find him.
[37] Be pure and honest. Peace loving people will have many descendants.
[38] But people who break the law will be completely destroyed. And their descendants will be forced to leave the land.
[39] The Lord saves good people. When good people have troubles, the Lord is their strength.
[40] The Lord helps good people and saves them. Good people depend on the Lord, and he saves them from bad people.