Psalm 37–39

Psalm 37^a

Of David.

¹Do not fret because of those who are evil

or be envious^v of those who do wrong;^w

²for like the grass they will soon wither,^x

like green plants they will soon die away.^y

³Trust in the Lord and do good;

dwell in the land^z and enjoy safe pasture.^a

⁴Take delight^b in the Lord,

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

⁵Commit your way to the Lord;

trust in him^d and he will do this:

⁶He will make your righteous reward^e shine like the dawn,^f

your vindication like the noonday sun.

⁷Be still^g before the Lord

and wait patiently^h for him;

do not fretⁱ when people succeed in their ways,^j

when they carry out their wicked schemes.^k

⁸Refrain from anger^l and turn from wrath;

do not fret^m—it leads only to evil.

⁹For those who are evil will be destroyed,ⁿ

but those who hope^o in the Lord will inherit the land.^p

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

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

¹¹But the meek will inherit the land^r

and enjoy peace and prosperity.^s

¹²The wicked plot^t against the righteous

and gnash their teeth^u at them;

¹³but the Lord laughs at the wicked,

for he knows their day is coming.^v

¹⁴The wicked draw the sword^w

and bend the bow^x

to bring down the poor and needy,^y

to slay those whose ways are upright.

¹⁵But their swords will pierce their own hearts,^z

and their bows will be broken.^a

¹⁶Better the little that the righteous have

than the wealth^b of many wicked;

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

but the Lord upholds^d the righteous.

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

and their inheritance will endure forever.^f

¹⁹In times of disaster they will not wither;

in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

²⁰But 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

²¹The wicked borrow and do not repay,

but the righteous give generously;ⁱ

²²those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,

but those he curses^j will be destroyed.^k

²³The Lord makes firm the steps^l

of the one who delights^m in him;

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

for the Lord upholds^o him with his hand.

²⁵I was young and now I am old,

yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken^p

or their children begging^q bread.

²⁶They are always generous and lend freely;^r

their children will be a blessing.^bs

²⁷Turn from evil and do good;^t

then you will dwell in the land forever.^u

²⁸For the Lord loves the just

and will not forsake his faithful ones.^v

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed^c;

the offspring of the wicked will perish.^w

²⁹The righteous will inherit the land^x

and dwell in it forever.^y

³⁰The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,^z

and their tongues speak what is just.

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

their feet do not slip.^b

³²The wicked lie in wait^c for the righteous,^d

intent on putting them to death;

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

or let them be condemned^e when brought to trial.^f

³⁴Hope in the Lord^g

and keep his way.^h

He will exalt you to inherit the land;

when the wicked are destroyed,ⁱ you will see^j it.

³⁵I have seen a wicked and ruthless man

flourishing^k like a luxuriant native tree,

³⁶but he soon passed away and was no more;

though I looked for him, he could not be found.^l

³⁷Consider the blameless,^m observe the upright;ⁿ

a future awaits those who seek peace.^do

³⁸But all sinners^p will be destroyed;^q

there will be no future^e for the wicked.^r

³⁹The salvation^s of the righteous comes from the Lord;

he is their stronghold in time of trouble.^t

⁴⁰The Lord helps^u them and delivers^v them;

he delivers them from the wicked and saves^w them,

because they take refuge^x in him.

Psalm 38^a

A psalm of David. A petition.

¹Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger

or discipline me in your wrath.^y

²Your arrows^z have pierced me,

and your hand has come down on me.

³Because of your wrath there is no health^a in my body;

there is no soundness in my bones^b because of my sin.

⁴My guilt has overwhelmed^c me

like a burden too heavy to bear.^d

⁵My wounds^e fester and are loathsome^f

because of my sinful folly.^g

⁶I am bowed down^h and brought very low;

all day long I go about mourning.ⁱ

⁷My back is filled with searing pain;^j

there is no health^k in my body.

⁸I am feeble and utterly crushed;^l

I groan^m in anguish of heart.ⁿ

⁹All my longings^o lie open before you, Lord;

my sighing^p is not hidden from you.

¹⁰My heart pounds,^q my strength fails^r me;

even the light has gone from my eyes.^s

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

my neighbors stay far away.

¹²Those 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

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

like the mute, who cannot speak;

¹⁴I have become like one who does not hear,

whose mouth can offer no reply.

¹⁵Lord, I wait^y for you;

you will answer,^z Lord my God.

¹⁶For I said, “Do not let them gloat^a

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

¹⁷For I am about to fall,^c

and my pain^d is ever with me.

¹⁸I confess my iniquity;^e

I am troubled by my sin.

¹⁹Many have become my enemies^f without cause^b;

those who hate me^g without reason^h are numerous.

²⁰Those who repay my good with evilⁱ

lodge accusations^j against me,

though I seek only to do what is good.

²¹Lord, do not forsake me;^k

do not be far^l from me, my God.

²²Come quickly^m to help me,ⁿ

my Lord and my Savior.^o

Psalm 39^a

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

¹I said, “I will watch my ways^p

and keep my tongue from sin;^q

I will put a muzzle on my mouth^r

while in the presence of the wicked.”

²So I remained utterly silent,^s

not even saying anything good.

But my anguish^t increased;

³my heart grew hot^u within me.

While I meditated,^v the fire^w burned;

then I spoke with my tongue:

⁴“Show me, Lord, my life’s end

and the number of my days;^x

let me know how fleeting^y my life is.^z

⁵You have made my days^a a mere handbreadth;

the span of my years is as nothing before you.

Everyone is but a breath,^b

even those who seem secure.^b

⁶“Surely everyone goes around^c like a mere phantom;^d

in vain they rush about,^e heaping up wealth^f

without knowing whose it will finally be.^g

⁷“But now, Lord, what do I look for?

My hope is in you.^h

⁸Save meⁱ from all my transgressions;^j

do not make me the scorn^k of fools.

⁹I was silent;^l I would not open my mouth,^m

for you are the one who has done this.ⁿ

¹⁰Remove your scourge from me;

I am overcome by the blow^o of your hand.^p

¹¹When you rebuke^q and discipline^r anyone for their sin,

you consume^s their wealth like a moth^t—

surely everyone is but a breath.^u

¹²“Hear my prayer, Lord,

listen to my cry for help;^v

do not be deaf^w to my weeping.^x

I dwell with you as a foreigner,^y

a stranger,^z as all my ancestors were.^a

¹³Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again

before I depart and am no more.”^b