Psalms 37
1 A psalm of David. Don't be upset over wicked people, or be jealous of those who do wrong.
Of David. Be not kindled to wrath at the wicked, nor envious of those who work wrong;
2 For like grass, they will quickly dry up; like plants, they will soon wither away.
for, like grass, they will speedily wither, and fade like the green of young grass.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good. Live in the land and feed on faithfulness.
Trust in the Lord, and do good; remain in the land, and deal faithfully:
4 Find your happiness in the Lord, and he will give you what you want the most.
then the Lord will be your delight, he will grant you your heart’s petitions.
5 Entrust all that you do to the Lord. Place your confidence in him and he will help you.
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act,
6 He will make your vindication shine like a light, the rightness of your cause like the noonday sun.
making clear as the light your right, and your just cause clear as the noon-day.
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.
In silence and patience wait on the Lord. Be not kindled to anger at those who prosper. At those who execute evil devices.
8 Give up your anger! Let go your rage! Don't get mad—it only results in evil!
Desist from anger, abandon wrath: be not kindled to anger it leads but to evil:
9 For the wicked will be destroyed, and those who trust in the Lord will take possession of the land.
for evildoers will be cut off, but the land will be theirs, who wait on the Lord.
10 In a little while the wicked will be no more—though you look for them you won't find them.
Yet but a little, and the wicked vanish: look at their place: they are there no more.
11 The humble will own the land; they will live there happily, in peace and prosperity.
But the humble will have the land, and the rapture of peace in abundance.
12 The wicked plot evil against those who do good, gnashing their teeth at them.
The wicked plots against the righteous, snarls like a wild animal;
13 But the Lord laughs at them, for he sees their coming day of judgment.
the Lord laughs, for he 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 wicked have drawn the sword, and bent the bow, to fell the poor, to slay those who walk uprightly;
15 But the swords of the wicked will slice through their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.
but their sword will pierce their own heart, and their bows will be broken in pieces.
16 It's better to do right and only have a little, than to be wicked and rich.
Better is the righteous person’s little than the wealth of many wicked.
17 For the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord supports those who do right.
For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18 The Lord knows what is happening to the innocent and grants them an eternal inheritance.
The Lord watches over the days of the blameless, their heritage will continue forever.
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, in the days of famine they will be satisfied.
20 But the wicked will die. The enemies of the Lord are like the flowers of the field—they will vanish like smoke.
Because the wicked will perish: but the foes of the Lord, like a brand in the oven, will vanish, like smoke they will vanish.
21 The wicked borrow, but don't repay; while those who do right give generously.
The wicked must borrow and cannot pay back, but the righteous is lavish and gives.
22 Those who are blessed by God will own the land, but those he curses will die.
For those blest by the Lord inherit the land, while those whom he curses 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 Lord supports the steps of those with whom he is pleased.
24 Though they may trip up, they will not fall to the ground, for the Lord holds their hand.
Though they fall, they will not be cast headlong, for the Lord holds their hands.
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.
Never, from youth to age, have I seen the righteous forsaken, or their children begging bread.
26 They are always kind, and generous with their loans; their children are a blessing.
They are ever lavishly lending, and their children are fountains of blessing.
27 Reject evil, do what is good, and you will live forever in the land.
Turn away from evil and do good and you will live in the land forever.
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 loves justice, he does not forsake his friends. The unrighteous will be destroyed forever, and the seed of the wicked will be cut off.
29 Those who do right will own the land and will live there forever.
But the land will belong to the righteous, they will live upon it forever,
30 People who do right give good advice, explaining what is fair.
The mouth of the righteous murmurs wisdom, and words of justice are on their tongues.
31 God's law lives in their minds, so they will not slip from his way.
The law of their God is in their heart, their steps are never unsteady.
32 The wicked lie in wait for those who do good, intending to kill them.
The wicked watches the righteous, and seeks to put them 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.
But the Lord leaves them not in their hand: at their trial they will not be held guilty.
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.
Wait on the Lord, and observe his way: he will lift you to honor the land will be yours, you will feast your eyes on the doom of the wicked.
35 I have watched the wicked acting brutally, spreading like a large tree in its native land.
I have seen the wicked exultant, lifting themselves like a cedar of Lebanon.
36 But when I passed that way the next time, they were gone. I searched for them but couldn't find them.
But the moment I passed, they vanished! I sought for them, but they could not be found.
37 Observe the innocent, look at those who do right! Those who love peace have a future!
Preserve your honor and practise uprightness, for such a person fares well in the end.
38 But those who are rebellious will be altogether destroyed; the wicked have no future.
But transgressors will perish together. Cut off are the wicked forever.
39 The Lord saves those who live right; he is their protection in times of trouble.
The righteous are saved by the Lord, who in time of distress is their refuge:
40 The Lord helps them and rescues them from the wicked. He saves them because they go to him for protection.
the Lord helps and rescue them, from the wicked he rescues and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
