Psalms 37

1 [A Psalm] of David. Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of 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 cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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. Do not choose to compete with him who prospers in his way, with the man who does injustice.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

13 The LORD will laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

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

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 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.

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

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

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

18 The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: 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 the evil time: and in the 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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Turn away from evil and do good, and dwell forever 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 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 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.

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

30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh 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; 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 sinner considers the just one and seeks 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 abandon him into his hands, nor condemn him, when he will be 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, thou shalt 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 have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.

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

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

And I passed by, and behold, 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 to innocence, and gaze upon fairness: because there are allotments for the peaceful man.

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

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: [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 time of tribulation.

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