Psalms 37

1 A Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

A psalm for David himself. Be not emulous of evildoers; nor envy them that work iniquity.

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

For they shall shortly wither away as grass, and as the green herbs shall quickly fall.

3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

Trust in the Lord, and do good, and dwell in the land, and thou shalt be fed with its riches.

4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart.

Delight in the Lord, and he will give thee the requests of thy heart.

5 Commit thy way to the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Commit thy way to the Lord, and trust in him, and he will do it.

6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

And he will bring forth thy justice as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

Be subject to the Lord and pray to him Envy not the man who prospereth in his way; the man who doth unjust things.

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

Cease from anger, and leave rage; have no emulation to do evil.

9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

For the evildoers shall be cut off: but they that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the land.

10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: and thou shalt seek his place, and shalt not find it.

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

But the meek shall inherit the land, and shall delight in abundance of peace.

12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

The sinner shall watch the just man: and shall gnash upon him with his teeth.

13 The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

But the Lord shall laugh at him: for he foreseeth that his day shall come.

14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as are of upright conduct.

The wicked have drawn out the sword: they have bent their bow. To cast down the poor and needy, to kill the upright of heart.

15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

Let their sword enter into their own hearts, and let their bow be broken.

16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.

Better is a little to the just, than the great riches of the wicked.

17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.

For the arms of the wicked shall be broken in pieces; but the Lord strengtheneth the just.

18 The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.

The Lord knoweth the days of undefiled; and their inheritance shall be for ever.

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

They shall not be confounded in the evil time; and in the days of famine they shall be filled:

20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.

Because the wicked shall perish. And the enemies of the Lord, presently after they shall be honoured and exalted, shall come to nothing and vanish like smoke.

21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous showeth mercy, and giveth.

The sinner shall borrow, and not pay again; but the just sheweth mercy and shall give.

22 For such as are blessed by him shall inherit the earth; and they that are cursed by him shall be cut off.

For such as bless him shall inherit the land: but such as curse him shall perish.

23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

With the Lord shall the steps of a man be directed, and he shall like well his way.

24 Though he should fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

When he shall fall he shall not be bruised, for the Lord putteth his hand under him.

25 I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

I have been young, and now am old; and I have not seen the just forsaken, nor his seed seeking bread.

26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.

He sheweth mercy, and lendeth all the day long; and his seed shall be in blessing.

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

Decline from evil and do good, and dwell for ever and ever.

28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

For the Lord loveth judgment, and will not forsake his saints: they shall be preserved for ever. The unjust shall be punished, and the seed of the wicked shall perish.

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

But the just shall inherit the land, and shall dwell therein for evermore.

30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.

The mouth of the just shall meditate wisdom: and his tongue shall speak judgment.

31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.

The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps shall not be supplanted.

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

The wicked watcheth the just man, and seeketh to put him to death,

33 The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.

But the Lord will not leave in his hands; nor condemn him when he shall be judged.

34 Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

Expect the Lord and keep his way: and he will exalt thee to inherit the land: when the sinners shall perish thou shalt see.

35 I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.

I have seen the wicked highly exalted, and lifted up like the cedars of Libanus.

36 Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

And I passed by, and lo, he was not: and I sought him and his place was not found.

37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

Keep innocence, and behold justice: for there are remnants for the peaceable man.

38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.

But the unjust shall be destroyed together: the remnants of the wicked shall perish.

39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.

But the salvation of the just is from the Lord, and he is their protector in the time of trouble.

40 And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

And the Lord will help them and deliver them: and he will rescue them from the wicked, and save them, because they have hoped in him.