Psalms 37

1 “Of David.” Do not fret thyself because of the evil-doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

2 For like the grass they shall soon be mowed down, and like the green herb shall they wither.

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed [thyself] with truthfulness.

4 And delight thyself in the Lord, and he will give thee the wishes of thy heart.

5 Commit thy way unto the Lord, and trust in him: and he will accomplish it.

6 And he will bring forth as the light thy righteousness, and the justice of thy [cause] as the noonday.

7 Be silent before the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who practices wicked devices.

8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

9 For evil-doers shall be cut off; but those that wait upon the Lord, these—shall truly inherit the land.

10 For yet but for a little while, and the wicked shall be no more: yea, thou wilt look carefully at his place, and he shall not be there.

11 But the meek shall inherit the land, and shall delight themselves because of the abundance of peace.

12 The wicked purposeth evil against the just, and gnasheth against him with his teeth.

13 The Lord will laugh at him; for he seeth that his day is coming.

14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cause the poor and needy to fall, and to slaughter such as are of an upright course [of life].

15 [But] their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

16 Better is the little that the righteous hath, than the great riches of many wicked.

17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the upholder of the righteous is the Lord.

18 The Lord regardeth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall endure for ever.

19 They shall not be made ashamed in the time of unhappiness; and in the days of famine shall they be satisfied.

20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the beauty of the meadow: they pass away; in smoke they pass away.

21 The wicked borroweth, and repayeth not; but the righteous is beneficent, and giveth.

22 For those blessed of him shall inherit the land; and those cursed of him shall be cut off.

23 By the Lord are the steps of the righteous man established; and he findeth pleasure in his course [of life].

24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholdeth his hand.

25 I have been young, and I am also grown old: yet have I never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed seeking for bread.

26 He is all the time beneficent, and lendeth: and his seed will be for a blessing.

27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.

28 For the Lord loveth justice, and never forsaketh his pious servants: they are for ever preserved; but the seed of the wicked will be cut off.

29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell for ever therein.

30 The mouth of the righteous uttereth wisdom, and his tongue speaketh what is just.

31 The law of his God is in his heart: none of his steps shall slip.

32 The wicked looketh out for the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.

33 The Lord will not leave him in his hand, and will not condemn him when he is judged.

34 Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he will exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, shalt thou look on.

35 I have seen the wicked terrible in power, and striking root like a green tree in its native soil.

36 Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was no more: and I sought him, but he could not be found.

37 Observe the perfect man, and behold the upright; for there is a [happy] future for the man of peace.

38 But the transgressors are destroyed together: the future of the wicked is cut off.

39 And the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord: he is their strong-hold in the time of distress.

40 And the Lord helpeth them, and delivereth them; he will deliver them from the wicked, and save them; because they have put their trust in him.