Psalms 37

1 A Psalme of David. Fret not thy selfe because of the wicked men, neither be enuious for the euill doers.

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

2 For they shall soone bee cut downe like grasse, and shall wither as the greene herbe.

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

3 Trust thou in the Lord and do good: dwell in the land, and thou shalt be fed assuredly.

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

4 And delite thy selfe in the Lord, and hee shall giue thee thine hearts desire.

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

5 Commit thy way vnto the Lord, and trust in him, and he shall bring it to passe.

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

6 And he shall bring foorth thy righteousnes as the light, and thy iudgement as the noone day.

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

7 Waite patiently vpon the Lord and hope in him: fret not thy selfe for him which prospereth in his way: nor for the man that bringeth his enterprises to passe.

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.

8 Cease from anger, and leaue off wrath: fret not thy selfe also to doe euill.

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

9 For euill doers shalbe cut off, and they that wait vpon the Lord, they shall inherite the land.

For the wicked will be destroyed, and those who trust in the Lord will take possession of the land.

10 Therefore yet a litle while, and the wicked shall not appeare, and thou shalt looke after his place, and he shall not be found.

In a little while the wicked will be no more—though you look for them you won't find them.

11 But meeke men shall possesse the earth, and shall haue their delite in the multitude of peace.

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

12 The wicked practiseth against the iust, and gnasheth his teeth against him.

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

13 But the Lord shall laugh him to scorne: for he seeth, that his day is comming.

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

14 The wicked haue drawen their sworde, and haue bent their bowe, to cast downe the poore and needie, and to slay such as be of vpright conuersation.

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

15 But their sword shall enter into their owne heart, and their bowes shalbe broken.

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

16 A small thing vnto the iust man is better, then great riches to the wicked and mightie.

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

17 For the armes of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord vpholdeth the iust men.

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

18 The Lord knoweth the dayes of vpright men, and their inheritance shall bee perpetuall.

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

19 They shall not be confounded in the perilous time, and in the daies of famine they shall haue ynough.

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

20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be consumed as the fatte of lambes: euen with the smoke shall they consume away.

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

21 The wicked boroweth and payeth not againe. but the righteous is mercifull, and giueth.

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

22 For such as be blessed of God, shall inherite the lande, and they that be cursed of him, shalbe cut off.

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

23 The pathes of man are directed by the Lord: for he loueth his way.

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

24 Though he fall, hee shall not be cast off: for the Lord putteth vnder his hand.

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

25 I haue beene yong, and am olde: yet I sawe neuer the righteous forsaken, nor his seede begging bread.

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.

26 But hee is euer mercifull and lendeth, and his seede enioyeth the blessing.

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

27 Flee from euill and doe good, and dwell for euer.

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

28 For the Lord loueth iudgement, and forsaketh not his Saintes: they shall be preserued for euermore: but the seede of the wicked shall be cut off.

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.

29 The righteous men shall inherit the lande, and dwell therein for euer.

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

30 The mouth of the righteous will speake of wisedome, and his tongue will talke of iudgement.

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

31 For the Lawe of his God is in his heart, and his steppes shall not slide.

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

32 The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.

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

33 But the Lord wil not leaue him in his hand, nor condemne him, when he is iudged.

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.

34 Waite thou on the Lord, and keepe his way, and he shall exalt thee, that thou shalt inherite the lande: when the wicked men shall perish, thou shalt see.

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.

35 I haue seene the wicked strong, and spreading himselfe like a greene bay tree.

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

36 Yet he passed away, and loe, he was gone, and I sought him, but he could not be founde.

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

37 Marke the vpright man, and beholde the iust: for the end of that man is peace.

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

38 But the transgressours shall be destroyed together, and the ende of the wicked shall bee cut off.

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

39 But the saluation of the righteous men shalbe of the Lord: he shalbe their strength in the time of trouble.

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

40 For the Lord shall helpe them, and deliuer them: he shall deliuer them from the wicked, and shall saue them, because they trust in him.

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