Psalms 37

1 A psalm of David. Don't be upset over wicked people, or be jealous of those who do wrong.

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

2 For like grass, they will quickly dry up; like plants, they will soon wither away.

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

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good. Live in the land and feed on faithfulness.

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

4 Find your happiness in the Lord, and he will give you what you want the most.

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

5 Entrust all that you do to the Lord. Place your confidence in him and he will help you.

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

6 He will make your vindication shine like a light, the rightness of your cause like the noonday sun.

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

7 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.

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 Give up your anger! Let go your rage! Don't get mad—it only results in evil!

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 the wicked will be destroyed, and those who trust in the Lord will take possession of 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 In a little while the wicked will be no more—though you look for them you won't find them.

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 The humble will own the land; they will live there happily, in peace and prosperity.

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

12 The wicked plot evil against those who do good, gnashing their teeth at them.

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

13 But the Lord laughs at them, for he sees their coming day of judgment.

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

14 The wicked draw their swords, and bend their bows to destroy the poor and needy, to kill those who live right.

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 But the swords of the wicked will slice through their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.

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

16 It's better to do right and only have a little, than to be wicked and rich.

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

17 For the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord supports those who do right.

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

18 The Lord knows what is happening to the innocent and grants them an eternal inheritance.

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

19 They will not be humiliated in bad times; even in days of famine they will have plenty to eat.

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 But the wicked will die. The enemies of the Lord are like the flowers of the field—they will vanish like smoke.

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 wicked borrow, but don't repay; while those who do right give generously.

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

22 Those who are blessed by God will own the land, but those he curses will die.

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 Lord shows the right path to those who follow him, and is happy with the way they live.

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

24 Though they may trip up, they will not fall to the ground, for the Lord holds their hand.

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

25 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.

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 They are always kind, and generous with their loans; their children are a blessing.

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

27 Reject evil, do what is good, and you will live forever in the land.

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

28 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.

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 Those who do right will own the land and will live there forever.

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

30 People who do right give good advice, explaining what is fair.

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

31 God's law lives in their minds, so they will not slip from his way.

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

32 The wicked lie in wait for those who do good, intending to kill them.

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

33 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.

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

34 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.

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 watched the wicked acting brutally, spreading like a large tree in its native land.

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

36 But when I passed that way the next time, they were gone. I searched for them but couldn't find them.

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 Observe the innocent, look at those who do right! Those who love peace have a future!

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

38 But those who are rebellious will be altogether destroyed; the wicked have no future.

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

39 The Lord saves those who live right; he is their protection in times of trouble.

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

40 The Lord helps them and rescues them from the wicked. He saves them because they go to him for protection.

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.