who, moreover, do no wrong, but follow in his footsteps.

By David. Do not fret when wicked men seem to succeed! Do not envy evildoers!

He says, “How long will you make unjust legal decisions and show favoritism to the wicked? (Selah)

When the godly see this, they rejoice, and every sinner shuts his mouth.

O Lord my God, if I have done what they say, or am guilty of unjust actions,

Vindicate me, O God! Fight for me against an ungodly nation! Deliver me from deceitful and evil men!

No! You plan how to do what is unjust; you deal out violence in the earth.

They devise unjust schemes; they disguise a well-conceived plot. Man’s inner thoughts cannot be discovered.

No enemy will be able to exact tribute from him; a violent oppressor will not be able to humiliate him.

So they proclaim that the Lord, my protector, is just and never unfair.

For the music director; according to the machalath style; a well-written song by David. Fools say to themselves, “There is no God.” They sin and commit evil deeds; none of them does what is right.

Indeed, the scepter of a wicked king will not settle upon the allotted land of the godly. Otherwise the godly might do what is wrong.