Fear

God Will Reward Fairly

Psalm 37

OF DAVID.

¹Don’t be upset because of evil people.

Don’t be jealous of those who do wrong,

²because like the grass, they will soon dry up.

Like green plants, they will soon die away.

³Trust the LORD and do good.

Live in the land and feed on truth.

⁴Enjoy serving the LORD,

and he will give you what you want.

⁵Depend on the LORD;

trust him, and he will take care of you.

⁶Then your goodness will shine like the sun,

and your fairness like the noonday sun.

⁷Wait and trust the LORD.

Don’t be upset when others get rich

or when someone else’s plans succeed.

⁸Don’t get angry.

Don’t be upset; it only leads to trouble.

⁹Evil people will be sent away,

but those who trust the LORD will inherit the land.

¹⁰In a little while the wicked will be no more.

You may look for them, but they will be gone.

¹¹People who are not proud will inherit the land

and will enjoy complete peace.

¹²The wicked make evil plans against good people.

They grind their teeth at them in anger.

¹³But the Lord laughs at the wicked,

because he sees that their day is coming.

¹⁴The wicked draw their swords

and bend their bows

to kill the poor and helpless,

to kill those who are honest.

¹⁵But their swords will stab their own hearts,

and their bows will break.

¹⁶It is better to have little and be right

than to have much and be wrong.

¹⁷The power of the wicked will be broken,

but the LORD supports those who do right.

¹⁸The LORD watches over the lives of the innocent,

and their reward will last forever.

¹⁹They will not be ashamed when trouble comes.

They will be full in times of hunger.

²⁰But the wicked will die.

The LORD’S enemies will be like the flowers of the fields;

they will disappear like smoke.

²¹The wicked borrow and don’t pay back,

but those who do right give freely to others.

²²Those whom the LORD blesses will inherit the land,

but those he curses will be sent away.

²³When a person’s steps follow the LORD,

God is pleased with his ways.

²⁴If he stumbles, he will not fall,

because the LORD holds his hand.

²⁵I was young, and now I am old,

but I have never seen good people left helpless

or their children begging for food.

²⁶Good people always lend freely to others,

and their children are a blessing.

²⁷Stop doing evil and do good,

so you will live forever.

²⁸The LORD loves justice

and will not leave those who worship him.

He will always protect them,

but the children of the wicked will die.

²⁹Good people will inherit the land

and will live in it forever.

³⁰A good person speaks with wisdom,

and he says what is fair.

³¹The teachings of his God are in his heart,

so he does not fail to keep them.

³²The wicked watch for good people

so that they may kill them.

³³But the LORD will not take away his protection

or let good people be judged guilty.

³⁴Wait for the LORD’S help

and follow him.

He will honor you and give you the land,

and you will see the wicked sent away.

³⁵I saw a wicked and cruel man

who looked strong like a healthy tree in good soil.

³⁶But he died and was gone;

I looked for him, but he couldn’t be found.

³⁷Think of the innocent person,

and watch the honest one.

The man who has peace

will have children to live after him.

³⁸But sinners will be destroyed;

in the end the wicked will die.

³⁹The LORD saves good people;

he is their strength in times of trouble.

⁴⁰The LORD helps them and saves them;

he saves them from the wicked,

because they trust in him for protection.

Title: The Holy Bible, New Century Version

Trusting Money Is Foolish

Psalm 49

FOR THE DIRECTOR OF MUSIC. A PSALM OF THE SONS OF KORAH.

¹Listen to this, all you nations;

listen, all you who live on earth.

²Listen, both great and small,

rich and poor together.

³What I say is wise,

and my heart speaks with understanding.

⁴I will pay attention to a wise saying;

I will explain my riddle on the harp.

⁵Why should I be afraid of bad days?

Why should I fear when evil men surround me?

⁶They trust in their money

and brag about their riches.

⁷No one can buy back the life of another.

No one can pay God for his own life,

⁸because the price of a life is high.

No payment is ever enough.

⁹Do people live forever?

Don’t they all face death?

¹⁰See, even wise people die.

Fools and stupid people also die

and leave their wealth to others.

¹¹Their graves will always be their homes.

They will live there from now on,

even though they named places after themselves.

¹²Even rich people do not live forever;

like the animals, people die.

¹³This is what will happen to those who trust in themselves

and to their followers who believe them.

Selah

¹⁴Like sheep, they must die,

and death will be their shepherd.

Honest people will rule over them in the morning,

and their bodies will rot in a grave far from home.

¹⁵But God will save my life

and will take me from the grave.

Selah

¹⁶Don’t be afraid of rich people

because their houses are more beautiful.

¹⁷They don’t take anything to the grave;

their wealth won’t go down with them.

¹⁸Even though they were praised when they were alive—

and people may praise you when you succeed—

¹⁹they will go to where their ancestors are.

They will never see light again.

²⁰Rich people with no understanding

are just like animals that die.

Title: The Holy Bible, New Century Version

Safe in the Lord

Psalm 91

¹Those who go to God Most High for safety

will be protected by the Almighty.

²I will say to the LORD, “You are my place of safety and protection.

You are my God and I trust you.”

³God will save you from hidden traps

and from deadly diseases.

⁴He will cover you with his feathers,

and under his wings you can hide.

His truth will be your shield and protection.

⁵You will not fear any danger by night

or an arrow during the day.

⁶You will not be afraid of diseases that come in the dark

or sickness that strikes at noon.

⁷At your side one thousand people may die,

or even ten thousand right beside you,

but you will not be hurt.

⁸You will only watch

and see the wicked punished.

⁹The LORD is your protection;

you have made God Most High your place of safety.

¹⁰Nothing bad will happen to you;

no disaster will come to your home.

¹¹He has put his angels in charge of you

to watch over you wherever you go.

¹²They will catch you in their hands

so that you will not hit your foot on a rock.

¹³You will walk on lions and cobras;

you will step on strong lions and snakes.

¹⁴The LORD says, “Whoever loves me, I will save.

I will protect those who know me.

¹⁵They will call to me, and I will answer them.

I will be with them in trouble;

I will rescue them and honor them.

¹⁶I will give them a long, full life,

and they will see how I can save.”