Psalm 36–38

Psalm 36a

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord.

1 I have a message from God in my heart

concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:b s

There is no feart of God

before their eyes.u

2 In their own eyes they flatter themselves

too much to detect or hate their sin.v

3 The words of their mouthsw are wicked and deceitful;x

they fail to act wiselyy or do good.z

4 Even on their beds they plot evil;a

they commit themselves to a sinful courseb

and do not reject what is wrong.c

5 Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,

your faithfulnessd to the skies.e

6 Your righteousnessf is like the highest mountains,g

your justice like the great deep.h

You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.i

7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!j

People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.k

8 They feast on the abundance of your house;l

you give them drink from your riverm of delights.n

9 For with you is the fountain of life;o

in your lightp we see light.

10 Continue your loveq to those who know you,r

your righteousness to the upright in heart.s

11 May the foot of the proud not come against me,

nor the hand of the wickedt drive me away.

12 See how the evildoers lie fallen—

thrown down, not able to rise!u

Psalm 37a

Of David.

1 Do not fret because of those who are evil

or be enviousv of those who do wrong;w

2 for like the grass they will soon wither,x

like green plants they will soon die away.y

3 Trust in the Lord and do good;

dwell in the landz and enjoy safe pasture.a

4 Take delightb in the Lord,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.c

5 Commit your way to the Lord;

trust in himd and he will do this:

6 He will make your righteous rewarde shine like the dawn,f

your vindication like the noonday sun.

7 Be stillg before the Lord

and wait patientlyh for him;

do not freti when people succeed in their ways,j

when they carry out their wicked schemes.k

8 Refrain from angerl and turn from wrath;

do not fretm—it leads only to evil.

9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,n

but those who hopeo in the Lord will inherit the land.p

10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;q

though you look for them, they will not be found.

11 But the meek will inherit the landr

and enjoy peace and prosperity.s

12 The wicked plott against the righteous

and gnash their teethu at them;

13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,

for he knows their day is coming.v

14 The wicked draw the swordw

and bend the bowx

to bring down the poor and needy,y

to slay those whose ways are upright.

15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,z

and their bows will be broken.a

16 Better the little that the righteous have

than the wealthb of many wicked;

17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,c

but the Lord upholdsd the righteous.

18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,e

and their inheritance will endure forever.f

19 In times of disaster they will not wither;

in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20 But the wicked will perish:g

Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,

they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.h

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,

but the righteous give generously;i

22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,

but those he cursesj will be destroyed.k

23 The Lord makes firm the stepsl

of the one who delightsm in him;

24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,n

for the Lord upholdso him with his hand.

25 I was young and now I am old,

yet I have never seen the righteous forsakenp

or their children beggingq bread.

26 They are always generous and lend freely;r

their children will be a blessing.b s

27 Turn from evil and do good;t

then you will dwell in the land forever.u

28 For the Lord loves the just

and will not forsake his faithful ones.v

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyedc;

the offspring of the wicked will perish.w

29 The righteous will inherit the landx

and dwell in it forever.y

30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,z

and their tongues speak what is just.

31 The law of their God is in their hearts;a

their feet do not slip.b

32 The wicked lie in waitc for the righteous,d

intent on putting them to death;

33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked

or let them be condemnede when brought to trial.f

34 Hope in the Lordg

and keep his way.h

He will exalt you to inherit the land;

when the wicked are destroyed,i you will seej it.

35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man

flourishingk 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.l

37 Consider the blameless,m observe the upright;n

a future awaits those who seek peace.d o

38 But all sinnersp will be destroyed;q

there will be no futuree for the wicked.r

39 The salvations of the righteous comes from the Lord;

he is their stronghold in time of trouble.t

40 The Lord helpsu them and deliversv them;

he delivers them from the wicked and savesw them,

because they take refugex in him.

Psalm 38a

A psalm of David. A petition.

1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger

or discipline me in your wrath.y

2 Your arrowsz have pierced me,

and your hand has come down on me.

3 Because of your wrath there is no healtha in my body;

there is no soundness in my bonesb because of my sin.

4 My guilt has overwhelmedc me

like a burden too heavy to bear.d

5 My woundse fester and are loathsomef

because of my sinful folly.g

6 I am bowed downh and brought very low;

all day long I go about mourning.i

7 My back is filled with searing pain;j

there is no healthk in my body.

8 I am feeble and utterly crushed;l

I groanm in anguish of heart.n

9 All my longingso lie open before you, Lord;

my sighingp is not hidden from you.

10 My heart pounds,q my strength failsr me;

even the light has gone from my eyes.s

11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;t

my neighbors stay far away.

12 Those who want to kill me set their traps,u

those who would harm me talk of my ruin;v

all day long they scheme and lie.w

13 I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,x

like the mute, who cannot speak;

14 I have become like one who does not hear,

whose mouth can offer no reply.

15 Lord, I waity for you;

you will answer,z Lord my God.

16 For I said, “Do not let them gloata

or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”b

17 For I am about to fall,c

and my paind is ever with me.

18 I confess my iniquity;e

I am troubled by my sin.

19 Many have become my enemiesf without causeb;

those who hate meg without reasonh are numerous.

20 Those who repay my good with evili

lodge accusationsj against me,

though I seek only to do what is good.

21 Lord, do not forsake me;k

do not be farl from me, my God.

22 Come quicklym to help me,n

my Lord and my Savior.o