Psalms 37

1 [A Psalm] of David. Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, neither be envious of them that do iniquity.

A psalm for David himself. Be not emulous of evildoers; nor envy them that work iniquity.

2 For they shall soon be withered as the grass, and shall soon fall away as the green herbs.

For they shall shortly wither away as grass, and as the green herbs shall quickly fall.

3 Hope in the Lord, and do good; and dwell on the land, and thou shalt be fed with the wealth of it.

Trust in the Lord, and do good, and dwell in the land, and thou shalt be fed with its riches.

4 Delight [thyself] in the Lord; and he shall grant thee the requests of thine heart.

Delight in the Lord, and he will give thee the requests of thy heart.

5 Disclose thy way to the Lord, and hope in him; and he shall bring [it] to pass.

Commit thy way to the Lord, and trust in him, and he will do it.

6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noon-day.

And he will bring forth thy justice as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

7 Submit thyself to the Lord, and supplicate him: fret not thyself because of him that prospers in his way, at the man that does unlawful deeds.

Be subject to the Lord and pray to him Envy not the man who prospereth in his way; the man who doth unjust things.

8 ease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself so as to do evil.

Cease from anger, and leave rage; have no emulation to do evil.

9 For evil-doers shall be destroyed: but they that wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the land.

For the evildoers shall be cut off: but they that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the land.

10 And yet a little while, and the sinner shall not be, and thou shalt seek for his place, and shalt not find [it].

For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: and thou shalt seek his place, and shalt not find it.

11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight [themselves] in the abundance of peace.

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

12 The sinner will watch for the righteous, and gnash his teeth upon him.

The sinner shall watch the just man: and shall gnash upon him with his teeth.

13 But the Lord shall laugh at him: for he foresees that his day will come.

But the Lord shall laugh at him: for he foreseeth that his day shall come.

14 Sinners have drawn their swords, they have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy one, [and] to slay the upright in heart.

The wicked have drawn out the sword: they have bent their bow. To cast down the poor and needy, to kill the upright of heart.

15 Let their sword enter into their [own] heart, and their bows be broken.

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

16 A little is better to the righteous than abundant wealth of sinners.

Better is a little to the just, than the great riches of the wicked.

17 For the arms of sinners shall be broken; but the Lord supports the righteous.

For the arms of the wicked shall be broken in pieces; but the Lord strengtheneth the just.

18 The Lord knows the ways of the perfect; and their inheritance shall be for ever.

The Lord knoweth the days of undefiled; and their inheritance shall be for ever.

19 They shall not be ashamed in an evil time; and in days of famine they shall be satisfied.

They shall not be confounded in the evil time; and in the days of famine they shall be filled:

20 For the sinners shall perish; and the enemies of the Lord at the moment of their being honoured and exalted have utterly vanished like smoke.

Because the wicked shall perish. And the enemies of the Lord, presently after they shall be honoured and exalted, shall come to nothing and vanish like smoke.

21 The sinner borrows, and will not pay again: but the righteous has compassion, and gives.

The sinner shall borrow, and not pay again; but the just sheweth mercy and shall give.

22 For they that bless him shall inherit the earth; and they that curse him shall be utterly destroyed.

For such as bless him shall inherit the land: but such as curse him shall perish.

23 The steps of a man are rightly ordered by the Lord: and he will take pleasure in his way.

With the Lord shall the steps of a man be directed, and he shall like well his way.

24 When he falls, he shall not be ruined: for the Lord supports his hand.

When he shall fall he shall not be bruised, for the Lord putteth his hand under him.

25 I was [once] young, indeed I am now old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed seeking bread.

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

26 He is merciful, and lends continually; and his seed shall be blessed.

He sheweth mercy, and lendeth all the day long; and his seed shall be in blessing.

27 Turn aside from evil, and do good; and dwell for ever.

Decline from evil and do good, and dwell for ever and ever.

28 For the Lord loves judgment, and will not forsake his saints; they shall be preserved for ever: the blameless shall be avenged, but the seed of the ungodly shall be utterly destroyed.

For the Lord loveth judgment, and will not forsake his saints: they shall be preserved for ever. The unjust shall be punished, and the seed of the wicked shall perish.

29 But the righteous shall inherit the earth, and dwell upon it for ever.

But the just shall inherit the land, and shall dwell therein for evermore.

30 The mouth of the righteous will meditate wisdom, and his tongue will speak of judgment.

The mouth of the just shall meditate wisdom: and his tongue shall speak judgment.

31 The law of his God is in his heart; and his steps shall not slide.

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

32 The sinner watches the righteous, and seeks to slay him.

The wicked watcheth the just man, and seeketh to put him to death,

33 But the Lord will not leave him in his hands, nor by any means condemn him when he is judged.

But the Lord will not leave in his hands; nor condemn him when he shall be judged.

34 Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are destroyed, thou shalt see [it].

Expect the Lord and keep his way: and he will exalt thee to inherit the land: when the sinners shall perish thou shalt see.

35 I saw the ungodly very highly exalting himself, and lifting himself up like the cedars of Libanus.

I have seen the wicked highly exalted, and lifted up like the cedars of Libanus.

36 Yet I passed by, and lo! he was not: and I sought him, but his place was not found.

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

37 Maintain innocence, and behold uprightness: for there is a remnant to the peaceable man.

Keep innocence, and behold justice: for there are remnants for the peaceable man.

38 But the transgressors shall be utterly destroyed together: the remnants of the ungodly shall be utterly destroyed.

But the unjust shall be destroyed together: the remnants of the wicked shall perish.

39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord; and he is their defender in the time of affliction.

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

40 And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: and he shall rescue them from sinners, and save them, because they have hoped in him.

And the Lord will help them and deliver them: and he will rescue them from the wicked, and save them, because they have hoped in him.