18 An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends
and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.

² Fools find no pleasure in understanding
but delight in airing their own opinions.

³ When wickedness comes, so does contempt,
and with shame comes reproach.

⁴ The words of the mouth are deep waters,
but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.

⁵ It is not good to be partial to the wicked
and so deprive the innocent of justice.

⁶ The lips of fools bring them strife,
and their mouths invite a beating.

⁷ The mouths of fools are their undoing,
and their lips are a snare to their very lives.

⁸ The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.

⁹ One who is slack in his work
is brother to one who destroys.

¹⁰ The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe.

¹¹ The wealth of the rich is their fortified city;
they imagine it a wall too high to scale.

¹² Before a downfall the heart is haughty,
but humility comes before honor.

¹³ To answer before listening−
that is folly and shame.

¹⁴ The human spirit can endure in sickness,
but a crushed spirit who can bear?

¹⁵ The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,
for the ears of the wise seek it out.

¹⁶ A gift opens the way
and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.

¹⁷ In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right,
until someone comes forward and cross-examines.

¹⁸ Casting the lot settles disputes
and keeps strong opponents apart.

¹⁹ A brother wronged is more unyielding than a fortified city;
disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.

²⁰ From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled;
with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.

²¹ The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.

²² He who finds a wife finds what is good
and receives favor from the Lord.

²³ The poor plead for mercy,
but the rich answer harshly.

²⁴ One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

² In their own eyes they flatter themselves
too much to detect or hate their sin.
³ The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful;
they fail to act wisely or do good.
⁴ Even on their beds they plot evil;
they commit themselves to a sinful course
and do not reject what is wrong.

⁵ Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.
⁶ Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
⁷ How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
⁸ They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.
⁹ For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.

¹⁰ Continue your love to those who know you,
your righteousness to the upright in heart.
¹¹ May the foot of the proud not come against me,
nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
¹² See how the evildoers lie fallen−
thrown down, not able to rise!

³ Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
⁴ Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
⁶ He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.

⁷ Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

⁸ Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret −it leads only to evil.
⁹ For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

¹⁰ A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
¹¹ But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy peace and prosperity.

¹² The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;
¹³ but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.

¹⁴ The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.
¹⁵ But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.

¹⁶ Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;
¹⁷ for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.

¹⁸ The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,
and their inheritance will endure forever.
¹⁹ In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

²⁰ But the wicked will perish:
Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.

²¹ The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;
²² those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be destroyed.

²³ The Lord makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
²⁴ though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

²⁵ I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
²⁶ They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be a blessing.^[d]

²⁷ Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.
²⁸ For the Lord loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed^[e];
the offspring of the wicked will perish.
²⁹ The righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.

³⁰ The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
and their tongues speak what is just.
³¹ The law of their God is in their hearts;
their feet do not slip.

³² The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
intent on putting them to death;
³³ but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

³⁴ Hope in the Lord
and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

³⁵ I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
³⁶ but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.

³⁷ Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
a future awaits those who seek peace.^[f]
38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
there will be no future^[g] for the wicked.

³⁹ The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
⁴⁰ The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.