_David persuadeth to patience and confidence in God, by the different
estate of the godly and the wicked._
A Psalm of David.
Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, neither be thou envious
against the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the
green herb.
Trust in the LORD, and do good: _so_ shalt thou dwell in the land, and
verily thou shalt be fed.
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires
of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him, and he shall bring
_it_ to pass.
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy
judgment as the noon day.
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because
of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth
wicked devices to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; fret not thyself in any wise to
do evil.
For evil-doers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD,
they shall inherit the earth.
For yet a little while, and the wicked _shall_ not _be_; yea, thou
shalt diligently consider his place, and it _shall_ not _be_.
But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in
the abundance of peace.
The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his
teeth.
The LORD shall laugh at him; for he seeth that his day is coming.
The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast
down the poor and needy, _and_ to slay such as be of upright
conversation.
Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be
broken.
A little that a righteous man hath _is_ better than the riches of many
wicked.
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the
righteous.
The LORD knoweth the days of the upright; and their inheritance shall
be for ever.
They shall not be ashamed in the evil time; and in the days of famine
they shall be satisfied.
But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD _shall be_ as
the fat of Lambs: they shall consume, into smoke shall they consume
away.
The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth
mercy, and giveth.
For _such as be_ blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and _they
that be_ cursed of him shall be cut off.
The steps of a _good_ man are ordered by the LORD; and he delighteth
in his way.
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD
upholdeth _him with_ his hand.
I have been young, and _now_ am old; yet have I not seen the righteous
forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
_He is_ ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed _is_ blessed.
Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are
preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell therein for ever.
The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of
judgment.
The law of his God _is_ in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is
judged.
Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit
the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see _it_.
I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a
green bay-tree.
Yet he passed away, and, lo, he _was_ not: yea, I sought him, but he
could not be found.
Mark the perfect _man_, and behold the upright: for the end of _that_
man _is_ peace.
But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the
wicked shall be cut off.
But the salvation of the righteous _is_ of the LORD; _he is_ their
strength in the time of trouble.
And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them; he shall deliver them
from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
This is a Psalm of consolation, which exhorts us to patience in the
world; and shews us that we should not be angry with, nor mutter
against God, when we see it to be well with evil men, and evilly with
the good. This indeed is often a cutting offence, and exceedingly
galls the weak ones; concerning which also Habakkuk complains, chap.
i. For when the saints think that all things turn out prosperously and
successfully to the wicked, and all things adversely and
unsuccessfully to those that fear God, they appear, as to human
judgment, to be dealt hardly with indeed.
We see an infinity of malice and ingratitude in the world, and an
extreme contempt of religion; a contempt of all good learning, and of
all virtue and honesty. Of this we have examples sufficiently
manifest, in our time, among the powerful and noble of this world, and
also among citizens and peasants, who all wish to have the liberty of
doing what suits their pleasure. To these impious despisers of the
word of God all things turn out prosperously: they abound in riches,
and they are raised to honours: while those that fear God are
afflicted with hunger and nakedness, and are despised, derided, and
contemned. And moreover, they endure the most bitter hatred of the
devil and the world for the word’s sake; they can scarcely breathe
under their afflictions, and they are often bound with fetters and
imprisoned. Here, not to give way to anger and indignation; here, not
to turn epicureans and deny God, is a wisdom beyond all that is human:
is a wisdom that is altogether spiritual and divine.
The sum therefore of this Psalm is,—suffer; that is, learn patience.
Every evil must be overcome by bearing it with patience. Cast thy
cares upon the Lord. Do not murmur; be not angry; wish no ill to the
wicked. Leave the management and government of all to God: he is a
righteous judge.—This is the all-necessary doctrine that is delivered
to us in this Psalm: a doctrine wholly unknown to the wise of this
world. And here the Holy Spirit comforts the godly in a various, and
at the same time, most fatherly and affectionate way; and that with
the most great and gracious promises. And then, as an example, David
himself says, “I have been young, and now am old, yet saw I never the
righteous forsaken.” And then he concludes with threatenings against
the wicked. But to show forth this patience in the midst of so much
malice and perverseness of the world, is the power and operation of
the Holy Spirit only, and is found only in spiritual men: for all
human reason, and all the wise ones of the world, cannot judge
otherwise, than that it is unworthy of God, and unjust, that it should
be well with the evil, and ill with the good.