Psalms 37

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

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

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

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

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

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

4 Delight [yourself] in the Lord; and he shall grant you the requests of your heart.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When he falls, he will not be harmed, because the Lord places 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 I am old; and I have not seen the just forsaken, nor his offspring seeking bread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The mouth of the just one will express wisdom, and his tongue will 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 kill him.

The sinner considers the just one and seeks 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 abandon him into his hands, nor condemn him, when he will be judged.

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

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.

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

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

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

And I passed by, and behold, 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 peaceful man.

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

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

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

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 time of tribulation.

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 free them. And he will rescue them from sinners and save them, because they have hoped in him.