Delight Yourself in the LORD

David opens by forbidding fretful envy toward evildoers, since they will fade quickly like grass. Instead he calls the righteous to trust in the LORD, do good, delight in him, commit their way to him, rest before him, and abandon anger, because the LORD will establish their righteousness and give the meek the land and abundant peace.

O¹f David. ²For they wither quickly like grass ³Trust in the LORD and do good; ⁴Delight yourself in the LORD, ⁵Commit your way to the LORD; ⁶He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn, ⁷Be still before the LORD ⁸Refrain from anger and abandon wrath; ⁹For the evildoers will be cut off, ¹⁰Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; ¹¹But the meek will inherit the land

The wicked scheme and arm themselves against the righteous, but the Lord laughs because their day is coming. Their violence recoils on themselves, the small portion of the righteous proves better than the abundance of many wicked, and the LORD knows and preserves the blameless even in famine, while the enemies of the LORD vanish like smoke.

¹²The wicked scheme against the righteous ¹³but the Lord laughs, ¹⁴The wicked have drawn the sword ¹⁵But their swords will pierce their own hearts, ¹⁶Better is the little of the righteous ¹⁷For the arms of the wicked will be broken, ¹⁸The LORD knows the days of the blameless, ¹⁹In the time of evil they will not be ashamed, ²⁰But the wicked and enemies of the LORD

David contrasts the selfish instability of the wicked with the generosity of the righteous, then celebrates the LORD's personal care over the path of his people. Their steps are established, their falls are not final because God upholds them, and David's long experience confirms that the righteous are not abandoned but become a blessing through openhanded mercy.

²¹The wicked borrow and do not repay, ²²Surely those He blesses will inherit the land, ²³The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD ²⁴Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, ²⁵I once was young and now am old, ²⁶They are ever generous and quick to lend,

The psalm next urges the listener to turn from evil and do good, because the LORD loves justice and does not forsake his saints. Therefore the righteous inherit the land, speak wisdom from hearts shaped by God's law, and though the wicked stalk them, the LORD does not hand them over but calls them to wait for him until they see the wicked cut off.

²⁷Turn away from evil and do good, ²⁸For the LORD loves justice ²⁹The righteous will inherit the land ³⁰The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, ³¹The law of his God is in his heart; ³²Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, ³³the LORD will not leave them in their power ³⁴Wait for the LORD and keep His way,

David closes with testimony: he has seen a ruthless wicked man spread out impressively, yet he soon disappeared. By contrast the blameless and upright have a future of peace, transgressors are destroyed together, and the righteous receive salvation, strength, help, and deliverance from the LORD because they take refuge in him.

³⁵I have seen a wicked, ruthless man ³⁶yet he passed away and was no more; ³⁷Consider the blameless and observe the upright, ³⁸But the transgressors will all be destroyed; ³⁹The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; ⁴⁰The LORD helps and delivers them;