Psalms 37

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

14 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

20 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

28 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

34 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

40 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.

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.