Psalms 37

1 Of David. Do not be angry because of the wrongdoers, or have envy of the workers of evil.

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

2 For they will quickly be cut down like grass, and become dry like the green plants.

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

3 Have faith in the Lord, and do good; be at rest in the land, and go after righteousness.

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

4 So will your delight be in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires.

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

5 Put your life in the hands of the Lord; have faith in him and he will do it.

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

6 And he will make your righteousness be seen like the light, and your cause like the shining of the sun.

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

7 Take your rest in the Lord, waiting quietly for him; do not be angry because of the man who does well in his evil ways, and gives effect to his bad designs.

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.

8 Put an end to your wrath and be no longer bitter; do not give way to angry feeling which is a cause of sin.

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

9 For the evil-doers will be cut off: but those who have faith in the Lord will have the earth for their heritage.

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

10 For in a short time the evil-doer will be gone: you will go searching for his place, and it will not be there.

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

11 But the gentle will have the earth for their heritage; they will take their delight in peace without measure.

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

12 The sinner has evil designs against the upright, lifting up the voice of wrath against him.

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

13 He will be laughed at by the Lord, who sees that his day is coming.

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

14 The evil-doers have taken out their swords, their bows are bent; for crushing the poor, and to put to death those who are upright in their ways.

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

15 But their swords will be turned into their hearts, and their bows will be broken.

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

16 The little which the good man has is better than the wealth of evil-doers.

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

17 For the arms of the evil-doers will be broken: but the Lord is the support of the good.

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

18 The days of the upright are numbered by the Lord, and their heritage will be for ever.

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

19 They will not be shamed in the evil time, and in the days when all are in need of food they will have enough.

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

20 But the wrongdoers will come to destruction, and the haters of the Lord will be like the fat of lambs, they will be burned up; they will go up in smoke, and never again be seen.

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.

21 The sinner takes money and does not give it back; but the upright man has mercy, and gives to others.

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

22 Those who have his blessing will have the earth for their heritage; but those who are cursed by him will be cut off.

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

23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he takes delight in his way.

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

24 Even if he has a fall he will not be without help: for the hand of the Lord is supporting him.

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

25 I have been young, and now am old, but I have not seen the good man without help, or his children looking for bread.

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

26 All the day he is ready to have mercy and to give; his children are a blessing.

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

27 Be turned from evil, and do good; and your place will be for ever.

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

28 For the Lord is a lover of righteousness, and takes care of his saints; they will be kept safe for ever; but the seed of the evil-doers will be cut off.

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.

29 The upright will have the earth for their heritage, and will go on living there for ever.

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

30 The mouth of the good man says words of wisdom; the talk of his tongue is of righteousness.

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

31 The law of his God is in his heart; he will never make a false step.

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

32 The sinners are watching the upright man, desiring to put him to death.

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

33 The Lord will not give him into their hands, or be against him when he is judged.

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

34 Be waiting for the Lord, and keep his way; and you will be lifted up, and have the land for your heritage: when the evil-doers are cut off, you will see it.

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.

35 I have seen the evil-doer in great power, covering the earth like a great tree.

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

36 But he came to an end, and there was no sign of him; I made a search for him and he was not there.

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

37 Give attention to the good man, and take note of the upright; because the end of that man is peace.

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

38 But as for the sinners, they will be cut off together; the end of the wrongdoers is destruction.

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

39 But the Lord is the saviour of the upright: he is their strength in the time of trouble.

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

40 And the Lord will be their help, and keep them safe: he will take them out of the hands of the evil-doers, and be their saviour, because they had faith in him.

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