Psalms 37
1 Of David. Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong.
A psalm of David. Don't be upset over wicked people, or be jealous of those who do wrong.
2 For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants.
For like grass, they will quickly dry up; like plants, they will soon wither away.
3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
Trust in the Lord, and do good. Live in the land and feed on faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Find your happiness in the Lord, and he will give you what you want the most.
5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it.
Entrust all that you do to the Lord. Place your confidence in him and he will help you.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn, your justice like the noonday sun.
He will make your vindication shine like a light, the rightness of your cause like the noonday sun.
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 still in God's presence; wait patiently for him. Don't be upset over people who prosper when they carry out their evil schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and abandon wrath; do not fret—it can only bring harm.
Give up your anger! Let go your rage! Don't get mad—it only results in evil!
9 For the evildoers will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
For the wicked will be destroyed, and those who trust in the Lord will take possession of the land.
10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.
In a little while the wicked will be no more—though you look for them you won't find them.
11 But the meek will inherit the land and delight in abundant prosperity.
The humble will own the land; they will live there happily, in peace and prosperity.
12 The wicked scheme against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them,
The wicked plot evil against those who do good, gnashing their teeth at them.
13 but the Lord laughs, seeing that their day is coming.
But the Lord laughs at them, for he sees their coming day of judgment.
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 wicked draw their swords, and bend their bows to destroy the poor and needy, to kill those who live right.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.
But the swords of the wicked will slice through their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.
16 Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many who are wicked.
It's better to do right and only have a little, than to be wicked and rich.
17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.
For the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord supports those who do right.
18 The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will last forever.
The Lord knows what is happening to the innocent and grants them an eternal inheritance.
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 humiliated in bad times; even in days of famine they will have plenty to eat.
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.
But the wicked will die. The enemies of the Lord are like the flowers of the field—they will vanish like smoke.
21 The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and giving.
The wicked borrow, but don't repay; while those who do right give generously.
22 Surely those He blesses will inherit the land, but the cursed will be destroyed.
Those who are blessed by God will own the land, but those he curses will die.
23 The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey.
The Lord shows the right path to those who follow him, and is happy with the way they live.
24 Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand.
Though they may trip up, they will not fall to the ground, for the Lord holds their hand.
25 I once was young and now am old, yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned or their children begging for bread.
Once I was young, and now I've grown old, yet I've never seen those who do right abandoned, nor their children having to beg for bread.
26 They are ever generous and quick to lend, and their children are a blessing.
They are always kind, and generous with their loans; their children are a blessing.
27 Turn away from evil and do good, so that you will abide forever.
Reject evil, do what is good, and you will live forever in the land.
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 fairness and he will never abandon those who are trustworthy. He will protect them forever. But the children of the wicked will die.
29 The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.
Those who do right will own the land and will live there forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
People who do right give good advice, explaining what is fair.
31 The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter.
God's law lives in their minds, so they will not slip from his way.
32 Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, and seek to slay them,
The wicked lie in wait for those who do good, intending to kill them.
33 the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned under judgment.
But the Lord will not let them fall into the hands of the wicked, and he will not let those who do good be condemned when they are put on trial.
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.
Trust in the Lord, and stay on his path. He will lift you up and give you the land to own. You will see when the wicked are destroyed.
35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree,
I have watched the wicked acting brutally, spreading like a large tree in its native land.
36 yet he passed away and was no more; though I searched, he could not be found.
But when I passed that way the next time, they were gone. I searched for them but couldn't find them.
37 Consider the blameless and observe the upright, for posterity awaits the man of peace.
Observe the innocent, look at those who do right! Those who love peace have a future!
38 But the transgressors will all be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.
But those who are rebellious will be altogether destroyed; the wicked have no future.
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their stronghold in time of trouble.
The Lord saves those who live right; he is their protection in times of trouble.
40 The LORD helps and delivers them; He rescues and saves them from the wicked, because they take refuge in Him.
The Lord helps them and rescues them from the wicked. He saves them because they go to him for protection.
