Psalm 1

Amplified Bible

Book One

The Righteous and the Wicked Contrasted.

1 ^[a]Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example],
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of ^[b]scoffers (ridiculers).
²
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And on His law [His precepts and teachings] he [habitually] meditates day and night.^(A)
³
And he will be like a tree firmly planted [and fed] by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season;
Its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers [and comes to maturity].^(B)

⁴
The wicked [those who live in disobedience to God’s law] are not so,
But they are like the chaff [worthless and without substance] which the wind blows away.
⁵
Therefore the wicked will not stand [unpunished] in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
⁶
For the Lord knows and fully approves the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked shall perish.

Footnotes

Psalm 1:1 This has been called “The Preface Psalm” because in some respects it introduces the complete book of Psalms as a godly message. It opens with a benediction, “Blessed,” as does the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:3).
Psalm 1:1 I.e. shallow thinkers who are quick to mock or disdain.