BOOK 1

The Righteous and the Wicked Contrasted.

Blessed is the person who (A)does not walk in the (B)counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the [a](C)path of sinners,
Nor (D)sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his (E)delight is (F)in the Law of the Lord,
And on His Law he meditates (G)day and (H)night.
He will be like (I)a tree planted by [b]streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season,
And its [c]leaf does not wither;
And [d]in whatever he does, (J)he prospers.

The wicked are not so,
But they are like (K)chaff which the wind blows away.
Therefore (L)the wicked will not stand in the (M)judgment,
Nor sinners in (N)the assembly of the righteous.
For the Lord [e](O)knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of (P)the wicked will perish.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 1:1 Or way
  2. Psalm 1:3 Or canals
  3. Psalm 1:3 Or foliage
  4. Psalm 1:3 Or all that he does prospers
  5. Psalm 1:6 Or approves; or has regard to

BOOK I
(Psalms 1–41)

Psalm 1

The Two Ways

How happy is the man
who does not follow[a] the advice of the wicked
or take[b] the path of sinners
or join a group[c] of mockers!(A)
Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction,
and he meditates on it day and night.(B)
He is like a tree planted beside streams of water[d]
that bears its fruit in season[e](C)
and whose leaf does not wither.(D)
Whatever he does prospers.(E)

The wicked are not like this;
instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away.(F)
Therefore the wicked will not survive[f] the judgment,(G)
and sinners will not be in the community of the righteous.

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,(H)
but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.(I)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 1:1 Lit not walk in
  2. Psalm 1:1 Lit stand in
  3. Psalm 1:1 Or or sit in the seat
  4. Psalm 1:3 Or beside irrigation canals
  5. Psalm 1:3 Lit in its season
  6. Psalm 1:5 Lit stand in