¹⁵ God may kill me for saying this—in fact, I expect him to. Nevertheless, I am going to argue my case with him.^[a]

⁷ But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and has made the Lord his hope and confidence. ⁸ He is like a tree planted along a riverbank, with its roots reaching deep into the water—a tree not bothered by the heat nor worried by long months of drought. Its leaves stay green, and it goes right on producing all its luscious fruit.

²⁵ Fear of man is a dangerous trap, but to trust in God means safety.