Book One
The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked
1 Blessed is the man1:1 The singular Hebrew word for man (ish) is used here to portray a representative example of a godly person; see Preface
who Prov. 4:14,15walks not in Job 21:16the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in Prov. 1:10the way of sinners,
nor Ps. 26:4;Jer. 15:17sits in [Ps. 107:32] the seat of Prov. 1:22;3:34;19:29;21:24;29:8;[Isa. 28:14]scoffers;
2 but his Ps. 112:1;119:35,47,92delight is in the law1:2 Or instruction of the Lord,
and on his Ps. 119:1,97;Josh. 1:8law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like Jer. 17:8;Ezek. 19:10;[Num. 24:6;Job 29:19] a tree
planted by Ps. 46:4streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its Ezek. 47:12;[Isa. 34:4] leaf does not wither.
Gen. 39:3,23;[Ps. 128:2;Isa. 3:10]In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like See Job 21:18chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked Ps. 5:5;76:7;Nah. 1:6;Luke 21:36;Eph. 6:13will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in [Ezek. 13:9]the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the LordPs. 31:7;37:18;144:3;Nah. 1:7;[John 10:14;2 Tim. 2:19] knows Ps. 37:5the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.