BOOK I

Psalms 1–41

Psalm 1

Blessed is the one(A)
    who does not walk(B) in step with the wicked(C)
or stand in the way(D) that sinners take(E)
    or sit(F) in the company of mockers,(G)
but whose delight(H) is in the law of the Lord,(I)
    and who meditates(J) on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree(K) planted by streams(L) of water,(M)
    which yields its fruit(N) in season
and whose leaf(O) does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.(P)

Not so the wicked!
    They are like chaff(Q)
    that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand(R) in the judgment,(S)
    nor sinners in the assembly(T) of the righteous.

For the Lord watches over(U) the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.(V)

Book One

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

Blessed is the man[a]
    who (A)walks not in (B)the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in (C)the way of sinners,
    nor (D)sits in (E)the seat of (F)scoffers;
but his (G)delight is in the law[b] of the Lord,
    and on his (H)law he meditates day and night.

He is like (I)a tree
    planted by (J)streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its (K)leaf does not wither.
(L)In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
    but are like (M)chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked (N)will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in (O)the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord (P)knows (Q)the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked will perish.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 1:1 The singular Hebrew word for man (ish) is used here to portray a representative example of a godly person; see Preface
  2. Psalm 1:2 Or instruction

The two paths[a]

If someone does not do what wicked people tell him to do,
    if he does not join with sinners,
    if he does not meet with those who laugh at God,
God has blessed that person!
He is happy when he obeys the Law of the Lord.[b]
He thinks about God's Law during the day and at night.
He will become like a tree that grows beside streams of water.
    It gives its fruit at the right season.
    Its leaves do not fall off.
Everything that person does will have a good result.
But wicked people are as empty as chaff.
    The wind blows them away.[c]
So they will not go free when God judges them.
Sinners cannot join with God's people,
    the people who are right with God.[d]
The Lord takes care of people who respect him.
But wicked people are living in a way that will take them to a bad end.

Footnotes

  1. 1:1 This psalm tells us about two groups of people: (1) people who want to please God; (2) people who do not respect God at all. These two groups of people walk along different paths. Each path leads to a different result. Verse 6 tells us what happens to people in each of these groups.
  2. 1:2 When we write Lord like this, it is a special name for God. Sometimes people write it as ‘Yahweh’, or as ‘Jehovah’. It is his own name that he told Moses. See Exodus 3:14. It means ‘I am who I am’. This shows that God has always been there and he always will be there.
  3. 1:4 Wicked people do not obey God's rules. God will blow them away like chaff one day.
  4. 1:5 God judges all people. He will decide if they are guilty.