Psalms 37

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

“Of David.” Do not fret thyself because of the evil-doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

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

For like the grass they shall soon be mowed down, and like the green herb shall they wither.

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

Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed [thyself] with truthfulness.

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

And delight thyself in the Lord, and he will give thee the wishes of thy heart.

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

Commit thy way unto the Lord, and trust 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 as the light thy righteousness, and the justice of thy [cause] as the noonday.

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 silent before the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who practices wicked devices.

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

Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

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

For evil-doers shall be cut off; but those that wait upon the Lord, these—shall truly 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.

For yet but for a little while, and the wicked shall be no more: yea, thou wilt look carefully at his place, and he shall not be there.

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

But the meek shall inherit the land, and shall delight themselves because of the abundance of peace.

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

The wicked purposeth evil against the just, and gnasheth against him with his teeth.

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

The Lord will laugh at him; for he seeth that his day is coming.

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 have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cause the poor and needy to fall, and to slaughter such as are of an upright course [of life].

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

[But] their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

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

Better is the little that the righteous hath, than the great riches of many wicked.

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

For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the upholder of the righteous is the Lord.

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

The Lord regardeth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall endure for ever.

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

They shall not be made ashamed in the time of unhappiness; and in the days of famine shall they 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.

But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the beauty of the meadow: they pass away; in smoke they pass away.

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

The wicked borroweth, and repayeth not; but the righteous is beneficent, and giveth.

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

For those blessed of him shall inherit the land; and those cursed of him shall be cut off.

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

By the Lord are the steps of the righteous man established; and he findeth pleasure in his course [of life].

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

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholdeth his hand.

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 I am also grown old: yet have I never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed seeking for bread.

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

He is all the time beneficent, and lendeth: and his seed will be for a blessing.

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

Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.

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 loveth justice, and never forsaketh his pious servants: they are for ever preserved; but the seed of the wicked will be cut off.

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

The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell for ever therein.

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

The mouth of the righteous uttereth wisdom, and his tongue speaketh what is just.

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

The law of his God is in his heart: none of his steps shall slip.

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

The wicked looketh out for the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.

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

The Lord will not leave him in his hand, and will not condemn him when he is 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 on the Lord, and keep his way, and he will exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, shalt thou look on.

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

I have seen the wicked terrible in power, and striking root like a green tree in its native soil.

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

Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was no more: and I sought him, but he could not be found.

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

Observe the perfect man, and behold the upright; for there is a [happy] future for the man of peace.

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

But the transgressors are destroyed together: the future of the wicked is cut off.

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

And the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord: he is their strong-hold in the time of distress.

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

And the Lord helpeth them, and delivereth them; he will deliver them from the wicked, and save them; because they have put their trust in him.