Curse and Blessing

This is what the Lord says:

The man who trusts in mankind,(A)
who makes human flesh his strength(B)
and turns his heart from the Lord is cursed.
He will be like a juniper in the Arabah;(C)
he cannot see when good comes
but dwells in the parched places in the wilderness,
in a salt land where no one lives.(D)
The man who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed.(E)
He will be like a tree planted by water:(F)
it sends its roots out toward a stream,
it doesn’t fear when heat comes,
and its foliage remains green.
It will not worry in a year of drought
or cease producing fruit.

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The Lord proclaims:
Cursed are those who trust in mere humans,
    who depend on human strength
    and turn their hearts from the Lord.
They will be like a desert shrub
    that doesn’t know when relief comes.
They will live in the parched places of the wilderness,
    in a barren land where no one survives.
Happy are those who trust in the Lord,
    who rely on the Lord.
They will be like trees planted by the streams,
    whose roots reach down to the water.
They won’t fear drought when it comes;
    their leaves will remain green.
They won’t be stressed in the time of drought
    or fail to bear fruit.

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