< Psalms 37 >
1 BY DAVID. [ALEPH-BET] Do not fret because of evildoers, Do not be envious against doers of iniquity,
Of David. Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong.
2 For they are cut off speedily as grass, And fade as the greenness of the tender grass.
For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants.
3 Trust in YHWH, and do good, Dwell [in] the land, and enjoy faithfulness,
Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
4 And delight yourself on YHWH, And He gives to you the petitions of your heart.
Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Roll your way on YHWH, And trust on Him, and He works,
Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it.
6 And has brought out your righteousness as light, And your judgment as noon-day.
He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn, your justice like the noonday sun.
7 Be silent for YHWH, and stay yourself for Him, Do not fret because of him Who is making his way prosperous, Because of a man doing wicked schemes.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men prosper in their ways, when they carry out wicked schemes.
8 Desist from anger, and forsake fury, Do not fret yourself to only do evil.
Refrain from anger and abandon wrath; do not fret—it can only bring harm.
9 For evildoers are cut off, As for those waiting on YHWH, they possess the land.
For the evildoers will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
10 And yet a little [while], and the wicked is not, And you have considered his place, and it is not.
Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 And the humble possess the land, And they have delighted themselves In the abundance of peace.
But the meek will inherit the land and delight in abundant prosperity.
12 The wicked is devising against the righteous, And gnashing his teeth against him.
The wicked scheme against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them,
13 The Lord laughs at him, For He has seen that his day comes.
but the Lord laughs, seeing that their day is coming.
14 The wicked have opened a sword, And they have bent their bow, To cause the poor and needy to fall, To slaughter the upright of the way.
The wicked have drawn the sword and bent the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 Their sword enters into their own heart, And their bows are shattered.
But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.
16 Better [is] the little of the righteous, Than the store of many wicked.
Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many who are wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked are shattered, And YHWH is sustaining the righteous.
For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.
18 YHWH knows the days of the perfect, And their inheritance is for all time.
The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will last forever.
19 They are not ashamed in a time of evil, And they are satisfied in days of famine.
In the time of evil they will not be ashamed, and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.
20 But the wicked perish, and the enemies of YHWH, Have been consumed as the preciousness of lambs, They have been consumed in smoke.
But the wicked and enemies of the LORD will perish like the glory of the fields. They will vanish; like smoke they will fade away.
21 The wicked is borrowing and does not repay, And the righteous is gracious and giving.
The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and giving.
22 For His blessed ones possess the land, And His reviled ones are cut off.
Surely those He blesses will inherit the land, but the cursed will be destroyed.
23 The steps of a man [are] from YHWH, They have been prepared, And He desires his way.
The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey.
24 When he falls, he is not cast down, For YHWH is sustaining his hand.
Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand.
25 I have been young, I have also become old, And I have not seen the righteous forsaken, And his seed seeking bread.
I once was young and now am old, yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned or their children begging for bread.
26 All the day he is gracious and lending, And his seed [is] for a blessing.
They are ever generous and quick to lend, and their children are a blessing.
27 Turn aside from evil, and do good, and dwell for all time.
Turn away from evil and do good, so that you will abide forever.
28 For YHWH is loving judgment, And He does not forsake His saintly ones, They have been kept for all time, And the seed of the wicked is cut off.
For the LORD loves justice and will not forsake His saints. They are preserved forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off.
29 The righteous possess the land, And they dwell on it forever.
The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, And his tongue speaks judgment.
The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
31 The law of his God [is] his heart, His steps do not slide.
The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter.
32 The wicked is watching for the righteous, And is seeking to put him to death.
Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, and seek to slay them,
33 YHWH does not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him in his being judged.
the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned under judgment.
34 Look to YHWH, and keep His way, And He exalts you to possess the land, In the wicked being cut off—you see!
Wait for the LORD and keep His way, and He will raise you up to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
35 I have seen the wicked terrible, And spreading as a green native plant,
I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree,
36 And he passes away, and behold, he is not, And I seek him, and he is not found!
yet he passed away and was no more; though I searched, he could not be found.
37 Observe the perfect, and see the upright, For the latter end of each [is] peace.
Consider the blameless and observe the upright, for posterity awaits the man of peace.
38 And transgressors were destroyed together, The latter end of the wicked was cut off.
But the transgressors will all be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.
39 And the salvation of the righteous [is] from YHWH, Their strong place in a time of adversity.
The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40 And YHWH helps them and delivers them, He delivers them from the wicked, And saves them, Because they trusted in Him!
The LORD helps and delivers them; He rescues and saves them from the wicked, because they take refuge in Him.