Psalm 37:1–22
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