To David: Do not compete with evildoers. As it says in Proverbs 23:17, "Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord." So why envy (them) in the fear of the Lord all day long? Do not envy the candle of the wicked, for you can see how much oil is in it, a quarter or an eighth, (yet) the entire oil (burns) and the candle goes out.

And thus it says (in the same chapter, verse 18), "Surely there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off." And it says (verse 20), "The lamp of the wicked is snuffed out." This is its bright rule. Therefore, David says, "Do not compete with evildoers."

Be zealous for a candle that never goes out, and whose candle does not go out. As it says (Proverbs 6:23), "For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life." Therefore, do not let your heart envy (them). The Lord said, "I am jealous because if there were no jealousy, the world would not exist.

For if Abraham had not been jealous for the Lord, he would not have acquired heaven and earth." And when did he become jealous? When he said to the kings of righteousness, "How did you come out of the ark?" He said to him, "With righteousness that we did."

He said to him, "What righteousness did you have to do, and were there poor people there? There was only Noah and his sons, so for whom did you do righteousness?" He said to him, "About the animals and the birds." We were not sleeping all night, but we were giving (food) to this one and to that one.

Once we delayed ourselves and my father was injured. At that moment, Abraham said, "If these (people) had not done righteousness with animals, birds, and beasts, they would not have come out of there. And because he delayed himself, he almost received his reward and was injured. If I do (good) with human beings, who are in the image and likeness of angels, how much more will I benefit from the harm?"

Immediately (Genesis 21:33), he planted a tamarisk tree. He ate, drank, and rejoiced. And Solomon said (Ecclesiastes 4:4), "And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person's envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind." Therefore, do not let your heart envy (them) in sin....