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Psalm 37

David wrote this song.

Trust the Lord [ a ]

37 Do not become upset
because of what wicked people do.
Do not be jealous of people that do bad things.
2 Remember that they are soon gone!
They are like grass that quickly becomes dry.
They will soon die like green plants in hot weather.
3 Trust in the Lord and do good things.
Then you will live safely in the land.
4 Be happy that the Lord is your friend.
He will give you what you most want.
5 Let the Lord be your guide into the future.
Trust in him and he will help you.
6 He will show everyone that you are righteous.
People will know that you are a good person,
as clearly as the sun shines at noon.
7 Be patient as you wait for the Lord to help you.
Trust him to bring help.
Do not become upset when bad people seem to do well,
when their wicked ideas really happen.
8 Do not become angry or upset!
It will only bring trouble for you.
9 Wicked people will disappear one day!
But people who trust the Lord for help
will live safely in the land that he has given to them.
10 Evil people will soon be gone.
You may look for them,
but you will not find them.
11 Humble people will live safely in the land.
They will live in peace and they will enjoy good things.
12 Wicked people think about how to hurt righteous people.
They show their teeth to frighten good people.
13 But my Lord laughs at those wicked people,
because he knows that their day of punishment will come.
14 Wicked people get out their swords,
and they prepare to shoot their arrows.
They try to make poor and helpless people fall down.
They try to destroy people who do what is right.
15 But their swords will go into their own hearts.
Their bows will break in pieces.

16 It is better to do what is right and only have a few things,
than to be wicked and have many things.
17 The Lord keeps righteous people safe,
but he will destroy the power of wicked people.
18 If anyone lives a completely good life,
the Lord takes care of them.
His gifts to them will last for ever.
19 When times of trouble come,
they will still be safe.
In a time of famine,
they will have enough to eat.
20 But wicked people will die.
They are the Lord 's enemies.
They will disappear like smoke from a fire that burns them up.

21 If you lend money to a wicked person,
he will not give it back to you.
But righteous people are kind to others
and they give things freely.
22 Yes, people that the Lord blesses
will live safely in the land.
But people that he has cursed
will disappear.
23 If the way that somebody lives pleases the Lord ,
the Lord will lead him into good things.
24 Even if that person trips, he will not fall.
The Lord will hold his hand.
25 I was young once and now I am old.
But in all my life, I have never seen any good man that God has left alone.
I have not seen his children so hungry
that they ask people for food.
26 Good people are always kind.
They lend things to other people.
Their children also bring God's blessing.

27 Turn away from evil things!
Do what is right!
Then you will live safely in the land for ever.
28 The Lord loves justice.
He will never leave those who serve him.
He will take care of them for ever,
but he will remove the children of wicked people.
29 God's righteous people will take the land for themselves.
They will live there for ever.
30 Righteous people speak wise words.
What they say brings justice.
31 They think about God's Law all the time,
so that they do not make mistakes.
32 Evil people wait for a chance to kill righteous people.
33 But the Lord will not leave his righteous people,
so that their enemies have power over them.
When evil people accuse them,
the Lord will show that they are not guilty.

34 Be patient and continue to trust the Lord .
Obey his commands.
Then he will give you honour,
so that you live safely in the land.
You will see that the Lord destroys wicked people.
35 I have seen cruel, wicked people become very powerful,
like trees that grow well in good soil.
36 But soon after that,
I see that they have disappeared!
I looked for them,
but I could not find them anywhere.
37 Think about people who are honest
and who do what is right.
Those who help people to live in peace
will live to enjoy their children.
38 But God will destroy people that turn against him.
Evil people will not have descendants.
39 The Lord will make righteous people safe.
He will take care of them in times of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them.
He saves them from wicked people.
He keeps them safe
because they turn to him for help.

Footnotes

  1. 37:1 Psalm 37 is an alphabet psalm. Verse 1 begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, verse 3 with the second letter, and so on.

[ a ] A song of David.

37 Don’t get upset about evil people.
Don’t be jealous of those who do wrong.
2 They are like grass and other green plants
that dry up quickly and then die.
3 So trust in the Lord and do good.
Live on your land and be dependable. [ b ]
4 Enjoy serving the Lord ,
and he will give you whatever you ask for.
5 Depend on the Lord .
Trust in him, and he will help you.
6 He will make it as clear as day that you are right.
Everyone will see that you are being fair.
7 Trust in the Lord and wait quietly for his help.
Don’t be angry when people make evil plans and succeed.
8 Don’t become so angry and upset that you, too, want to do evil.
9 The wicked will be destroyed,
but those who call to the Lord for help will get the land he promised.
10 In a short time there will be no more evil people.
You can look for them all you want, but they will be gone.
11 Humble people will get the land God promised,
and they will enjoy peace.

12 The wicked plan bad things for those who are good.
They show their teeth in anger at them.
13 But our Lord will laugh at them.
He will make sure they get what they deserve.
14 The wicked draw their swords to kill the poor and the helpless.
They aim their arrows to murder all who live right.
15 But their bows will break,
and their swords will pierce their own hearts.
16 A few good people are better
than a large crowd of those who are evil.
17 The wicked will be destroyed,
but the Lord cares for those who are good.
18 The Lord protects pure people all their life.
Their reward will continue forever.
19 When trouble comes,
good people will not be destroyed.
When times of hunger come,
good people will have plenty to eat.
20 But evil people are the Lord ’s enemies,
and they will be destroyed.
Their valleys will dry up and burn.
They will be destroyed completely.
21 The wicked borrow money and never pay it back.
But good people are kind and generous.
22 Everyone the Lord blesses will get the land he promised.
Everyone he curses will be destroyed.
23 The Lord shows us how we should live,
and he is pleased when he sees people living that way.
24 If they stumble, they will not fall,
because the Lord reaches out to steady them.
25 I was young, and now I am old,
but I have never seen good people left with no one to help them;
I have never seen their children begging for food.
26 They are kind and generous,
and their children are a blessing.
27 Stop doing anything evil and do good,
and you will always have a place to live.
28 The Lord loves what is right,
and he will never leave his followers without help.
He will always protect them,
but he will destroy the families of the wicked.
29 Good people will get the land God promised
and will live on it forever.
30 Those who do what is right give good advice.
Their decisions are always fair.
31 They have learned God’s teachings,
and they will never stop living right. [ c ]

32 The wicked are always looking for ways to kill good people.
33 But the Lord will not let the wicked defeat them.
He will not let good people be judged guilty.
34 Do what the Lord says, and wait for his help.
He will reward you and give you the land he promised.
You will see the wicked being forced to leave.

35 I once saw a wicked man who was powerful.
He was like a strong, healthy tree.
36 But then he was gone.
I looked for him, but I could not find him.
37 Be pure and honest.
Peace loving people will have many descendants.
38 But those who break the law will be destroyed completely.
And their descendants will be forced to leave the land. [ d ]
39 The Lord saves those who are good.
When they have troubles, he is their strength.
40 The Lord helps good people and rescues them.
They depend on him, so he rescues them from the wicked.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 37:1 Psalm 37 In Hebrew, about every other verse in this psalm begins with the next letter of the alphabet.
  2. Psalm 37:3 be dependable Literally, “shepherd faithfulness.”
  3. Psalm 37:31 they … right Literally, “his steps will not slip.”
  4. Psalm 37:38 forced to leave the land Or “destroyed.” Literally, “cut off.”

37 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

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

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

4 Delight thyself also in the Lord : and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

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

6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness 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.

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

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

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

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

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

13 The Lord shall 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 cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.

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

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

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

18 The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord : he is their strength 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.

Security of Those Who Trust in the Lord , and Insecurity of the Wicked.

A Psalm of David.

37 ( A ) Do not get upset because of evildoers,
Do not be ( B ) envious of wrongdoers.
2 For they will ( C ) wither quickly like the grass,
And ( D ) decay like the green plants.
3 ( E ) Trust in the Lord and do good;
( F ) Live in the land and [ a ] ( G ) cultivate faithfulness.
4 ( H ) Delight yourself in the Lord ;
And He will ( I ) give you the desires of your heart.
5 ( J ) Commit your way to the Lord ,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
6 He will bring out ( K ) your righteousness as the light,
And your judgment ( L ) as the noonday.

7 [ b ] Rest in the Lord and ( M ) wait [ c ] patiently for Him;
( N ) Do not get upset because of one who is ( O ) successful in his way,
Because of the person who carries out wicked schemes.
8 Cease from anger and ( P ) abandon wrath;
Do not get upset; it leads only to evildoing.
9 For ( Q ) evildoers will be eliminated,
But those who wait for the Lord , they will ( R ) inherit the land.
10 Yet ( S ) a little while and the wicked person will be no more;
And you will look carefully for ( T ) his place and he will not be there .
11 But ( U ) the humble will inherit the land
And will delight themselves in ( V ) abundant prosperity.

12 The wicked ( W ) plots against the righteous,
And ( X ) gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 The Lord ( Y ) laughs at him,
For He sees that ( Z ) his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn the sword and ( AA ) bent their bow
To take down the ( AB ) afflicted and the needy,
To ( AC ) kill off those who are upright in conduct.
15 Their sword will enter their own heart,
And their ( AD ) bows will be broken.

16 ( AE ) Better is the little of the righteous
Than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the ( AF ) arms of the wicked will be broken,
But the Lord ( AG ) sustains the righteous.
18 The Lord ( AH ) knows the days of the [ d ] blameless,
And their ( AI ) inheritance will be forever.
19 They will not be ashamed in the time of evil,
And ( AJ ) in the days of famine they will have plenty.
20 But the ( AK ) wicked will perish;
And the enemies of the Lord will be like the [ e ] glory of the pastures,
They vanish— ( AL ) like smoke they vanish away.
21 The wicked borrows and does not pay back,
But the righteous ( AM ) is gracious and gives.
22 For ( AN ) those blessed by Him will ( AO ) inherit the land,
But those ( AP ) cursed by Him will be eliminated.

23 ( AQ ) The steps of a man are established by the Lord ,
And He ( AR ) delights in his way.
24 When ( AS ) he falls, he will not be hurled down,
Because ( AT ) the Lord is the One [ f ] who holds his hand.
25 I have been young and now I am old,
Yet ( AU ) I have not seen the righteous forsaken
Or ( AV ) his [ g ] descendants begging for bread.
26 All day long ( AW ) he is gracious and lends,
And ( AX ) his [ h ] descendants are a blessing.

27 ( AY ) Turn from evil and do good,
So that you will dwell ( AZ ) forever.
28 For the Lord ( BA ) loves [ i ] justice
And ( BB ) does not abandon His godly ones;
They are ( BC ) protected forever,
But the [ j ] ( BD ) descendants of the wicked will be eliminated.
29 The righteous will ( BE ) inherit the land
And ( BF ) dwell in it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous ( BG ) utters wisdom,
And his tongue ( BH ) speaks justice.
31 The ( BI ) Law of his God is in his heart;
His ( BJ ) steps do not slip.
32 The ( BK ) wicked spies upon the righteous
And ( BL ) seeks to kill him.
33 The Lord will ( BM ) not leave him in his hand
Or ( BN ) let him be condemned when he is judged.
34 ( BO ) Wait for the Lord and keep His way,
And He will exalt you to inherit the land;
When the ( BP ) wicked are eliminated, you will see it.

35 I have ( BQ ) seen a wicked, violent person
Spreading himself like a ( BR ) luxuriant [ k ] tree in its native soil.
36 Then he passed away, and behold, he ( BS ) was no more;
I searched for him, but he could not be found.
37 Observe the [ l ] ( BT ) blameless person, and look at the ( BU ) upright;
For the person of peace will have ( BV ) a future.
38 But wrongdoers will altogether be ( BW ) destroyed;
The future of the wicked will be ( BX ) eliminated.
39 But the ( BY ) salvation of the righteous is from the Lord ;
He is their strength ( BZ ) in time of trouble.
40 ( CA ) The Lord helps them and rescues them;
He ( CB ) rescues them from the wicked and saves them,
Because they ( CC ) take refuge in Him.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 37:3 Or feed securely ; or feed on His faithfulness
  2. Psalm 37:7 Or Be still
  3. Psalm 37:7 Or longingly
  4. Psalm 37:18 Lit complete ; or perfect
  5. Psalm 37:20 I.e., flowers
  6. Psalm 37:24 Or who sustains him with His hand
  7. Psalm 37:25 Lit seed
  8. Psalm 37:26 Lit seed
  9. Psalm 37:28 Lit judgment
  10. Psalm 37:28 Lit seed
  11. Psalm 37:35 Lit native ; Heb obscure
  12. Psalm 37:37 Lit complete ; or perfect

Psalm 37 [ a ]

Of David.

1 Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious ( A ) of those who do wrong; ( B )
2 for like the grass they will soon wither, ( C )
like green plants they will soon die away. ( D )

3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land ( E ) and enjoy safe pasture. ( F )
4 Take delight ( G ) in the Lord ,
and he will give you the desires of your heart. ( H )

5 Commit your way to the Lord ;
trust in him ( I ) and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward ( J ) shine like the dawn, ( K )
your vindication like the noonday sun.

7 Be still ( L ) before the Lord
and wait patiently ( M ) for him;
do not fret ( N ) when people succeed in their ways, ( O )
when they carry out their wicked schemes. ( P )

8 Refrain from anger ( Q ) and turn from wrath;
do not fret ( R ) —it leads only to evil.
9 For those who are evil will be destroyed, ( S )
but those who hope ( T ) in the Lord will inherit the land. ( U )

10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more; ( V )
though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land ( W )
and enjoy peace and prosperity. ( X )

12 The wicked plot ( Y ) against the righteous
and gnash their teeth ( Z ) at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming. ( AA )

14 The wicked draw the sword ( AB )
and bend the bow ( AC )
to bring down the poor and needy, ( AD )
to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts, ( AE )
and their bows will be broken. ( AF )

16 Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth ( AG ) of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken, ( AH )
but the Lord upholds ( AI ) the righteous.

18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord ’s care, ( AJ )
and their inheritance will endure forever. ( AK )
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20 But the wicked will perish: ( AL )
Though the Lord ’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke. ( AM )

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously; ( AN )
22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses ( AO ) will be destroyed. ( AP )

23 The Lord makes firm the steps ( AQ )
of the one who delights ( AR ) in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall, ( AS )
for the Lord upholds ( AT ) him with his hand.

25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken ( AU )
or their children begging ( AV ) bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely; ( AW )
their children will be a blessing. [ b ] ( AX )

27 Turn from evil and do good; ( AY )
then you will dwell in the land forever. ( AZ )
28 For the Lord loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones. ( BA )

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed [ c ] ;
the offspring of the wicked will perish. ( BB )
29 The righteous will inherit the land ( BC )
and dwell in it forever. ( BD )

30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, ( BE )
and their tongues speak what is just.
31 The law of their God is in their hearts; ( BF )
their feet do not slip. ( BG )

32 The wicked lie in wait ( BH ) for the righteous, ( BI )
intent on putting them to death;
33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
or let them be condemned ( BJ ) when brought to trial. ( BK )

34 Hope in the Lord ( BL )
and keep his way. ( BM )
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed, ( BN ) you will see ( BO ) it.

35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing ( BP ) like a luxuriant native tree,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found. ( BQ )

37 Consider the blameless, ( BR ) observe the upright; ( BS )
a future awaits those who seek peace. [ d ] ( BT )
38 But all sinners ( BU ) will be destroyed; ( BV )
there will be no future [ e ] for the wicked. ( BW )

39 The salvation ( BX ) of the righteous comes from the Lord ;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble. ( BY )
40 The Lord helps ( BZ ) them and delivers ( CA ) them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves ( CB ) them,
because they take refuge ( CC ) in him.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the stanzas of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  2. Psalm 37:26 Or freely; / the names of their children will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or freely; / others will see that their children are blessed
  3. Psalm 37:28 See Septuagint; Hebrew They will be protected forever
  4. Psalm 37:37 Or upright; / those who seek peace will have posterity
  5. Psalm 37:38 Or posterity
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