Psalms 37

1 Of David. Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong.

A Psalm of David himself. Do not choose to imitate the malicious; neither should you envy those who work iniquity.

2 For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants.

For they will quickly wither away like dry grass, and in like manner to kitchen herbs, they will soon droop.

3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

Hope in the Lord and do good, and dwell in the land, and so you shall be pastured with its riches.

4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Delight in the Lord, and he will grant to you the petitions of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it.

Reveal your way to the Lord, and hope in him, and he will accomplish it.

6 He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn, your justice like the noonday sun.

And he will bring forth your justice like the light, and your judgment like the midday.

7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men prosper in their ways, when they carry out wicked schemes.

Be subject to the Lord and pray to him. Do not choose to compete with him who prospers in his way, with the man who does injustice.

8 Refrain from anger and abandon wrath; do not fret—it can only bring harm.

Cease from wrath and leave behind rage. Do not choose to imitate the malicious.

9 For the evildoers will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

For those who are malicious will be exterminated. But those who remain with the Lord, these will inherit the land.

10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.

Yet still a little while, and the sinner will not be. And you will search his place and find nothing.

11 But the meek will inherit the land and delight in abundant prosperity.

But the meek shall inherit the earth, and they will delight in the multitude of peace.

12 The wicked scheme against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them,

The sinner will observe the just, and he will gnash his teeth over him.

13 but the Lord laughs, seeing that their day is coming.

But the Lord will laugh at him: for he knows in advance that his day will come.

14 The wicked have drawn the sword and bent the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.

The sinners have drawn the sword, they have bent their bow, so as to cast down the poor and the needy, so as to massacre the upright of heart.

15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.

Let their sword enter into their own hearts, and let their bow be broken.

16 Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many who are wicked.

A little is better to the just than the many riches of sinners.

17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.

For the arms of sinners will be crushed, but the Lord confirms the just.

18 The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will last forever.

The Lord knows the days of the immaculate, and their inheritance will be in eternity.

19 In the time of evil they will not be ashamed, and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.

They will not be confounded in an evil time; and in days of famine, they will be satisfied:

20 But the wicked and enemies of the LORD will perish like the glory of the fields. They will vanish; like smoke they will fade away.

for sinners will perish. Truly, the adversaries of the Lord, soon after they have been honored and exalted, will fade away, in the same way that smoke fades away.

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and giving.

The sinner will lend and not release, but the just one shows compassion and donates.

22 Surely those He blesses will inherit the land, but the cursed will be destroyed.

For those who bless him will inherit the earth, but those who curse him will perish.

23 The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey.

The steps of a man will be directed by the Lord, and he will choose his way.

24 Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand.

When he falls, he will not be harmed, because the Lord places his hand under him.

25 I once was young and now am old, yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned or their children begging for bread.

I have been young, and now I am old; and I have not seen the just forsaken, nor his offspring seeking bread.

26 They are ever generous and quick to lend, and their children are a blessing.

He shows compassion and lends, all day long, and his offspring will be in blessing.

27 Turn away from evil and do good, so that you will abide forever.

Turn away from evil and do good, and dwell forever and ever.

28 For the LORD loves justice and will not forsake His saints. They are preserved forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off.

For the Lord loves judgment, and he will not abandon his saints. They will be kept safe in eternity. The unjust will be punished, and the offspring of the impious will perish.

29 The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.

But the just will inherit the earth, and they will dwell upon it forever and ever.

30 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.

The mouth of the just one will express wisdom, and his tongue will speak judgment.

31 The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter.

The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps shall not be supplanted.

32 Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, and seek to slay them,

The sinner considers the just one and seeks to put him to death.

33 the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned under judgment.

But the Lord will not abandon him into his hands, nor condemn him, when he will be judged.

34 Wait for the LORD and keep His way, and He will raise you up to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

Wait for the Lord, and keep to his way. And he will exalt you, so as to inherit the land that you may seize. When the sinners will have passed away, then you shall see.

35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree,

I have seen the impious over-exalted, and lifted up like the cedars of Lebanon.

36 yet he passed away and was no more; though I searched, he could not be found.

And I passed by, and behold, he was not. And I sought him, and his place was not found.

37 Consider the blameless and observe the upright, for posterity awaits the man of peace.

Keep to innocence, and gaze upon fairness: because there are allotments for the peaceful man.

38 But the transgressors will all be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.

But the unjust will be destroyed together: the allotments of the impious will pass away.

39 The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their stronghold in time of trouble.

But the salvation of the just is from the Lord, and he is their protector in time of tribulation.

40 The LORD helps and delivers them; He rescues and saves them from the wicked, because they take refuge in Him.

And the Lord will help them and free them. And he will rescue them from sinners and save them, because they have hoped in him.