Psalm 37–39

¹By David. Do not fret because of evil doers, Be not envious against doers of iniquity,

²For as grass speedily they are cut off, And as the greenness of the tender grass do fade.

³Trust in Jehovah, and do good, Dwell in the land, and enjoy faithfulness,

⁴And delight thyself on Jehovah, And He giveth to thee the petitions of thy heart.

⁵Roll on Jehovah thy way, And trust upon Him, and He worketh,

⁶And hath brought out as light thy righteousness, And thy judgment as noon-day.

⁷Be silent for Jehovah, and stay thyself for Him, Do not fret because of him Who is making prosperous his way, Because of a man doing wicked devices.

⁸Desist from anger, and forsake fury, Fret not thyself only to do evil.

⁹For evil doers are cut off, As to those waiting on Jehovah, they possess the land.

¹⁰And yet a little, and the wicked is not, And thou hast considered his place, and it is not.

¹¹And the humble do possess the land, And they have delighted themselves In the abundance of peace.

¹²The wicked is devising against the righteous, And gnashing against him his teeth.

¹³The Lord doth laugh at him, For He hath seen that his day cometh.

¹⁴A sword have the wicked opened, And they have trodden their bow, To cause to fall the poor and needy, To slaughter the upright of the way.

¹⁵Their sword doth enter into their own heart, And their bows are shivered.

¹⁶Better is the little of the righteous, Than the store of many wicked.

¹⁷For the arms of the wicked are shivered, And Jehovah is sustaining the righteous.

¹⁸Jehovah knoweth the days of the perfect, And their inheritance is—to the age.

¹⁹They are not ashamed in a time of evil, And in days of famine they are satisfied.

²⁰But the wicked perish, and the enemies of Jehovah, As the preciousness of lambs, Have been consumed, In smoke they have been consumed.

²¹The wicked is borrowing and repayeth not, And the righteous is gracious and giving.

²²For His blessed ones do possess the land, And His reviled ones are cut off.

²³From Jehovah are the steps of a man, They have been prepared, And his way he desireth.

²⁴When he falleth, he is not cast down, For Jehovah is sustaining his hand.

²⁵Young I have been, I have also become old, And I have not seen the righteous forsaken, And his seed seeking bread.

²⁶All the day he is gracious and lending, And his seed is for a blessing.

²⁷Turn aside from evil, and do good, and dwell to the age.

²⁸For Jehovah is loving judgment, And He doth not forsake His saintly ones, To the age they have been kept, And the seed of the wicked is cut off.

²⁹The righteous possess the land, And they dwell for ever on it.

³⁰The mouth of the righteous uttereth wisdom, And his tongue speaketh judgment.

³¹The law of his God is his heart, His steps do not slide.

³²The wicked is watching for the righteous, And is seeking to put him to death.

³³Jehovah doth not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him in his being judged.

³⁴Look unto Jehovah, and keep His way, And He doth exalt thee to possess the land, In the wicked being cut off—thou seest!

³⁵I have seen the wicked terrible, And spreading as a green native plant,

³⁶And he passeth away, and lo, he is not, And I seek him, and he is not found!

³⁷Observe the perfect, and see the upright, For the latter end of each is peace.

³⁸And transgressors were destroyed together, The latter end of the wicked was cut off.

³⁹And the salvation of the righteous is from Jehovah, Their strong place in a time of adversity.

⁴⁰And Jehovah doth help them and deliver them, He delivereth them from the wicked, And saveth them, Because they trusted in Him!

Psalm 38

¹A Psalm of David, ‘To cause to remember.’ Jehovah, in Thy wrath reprove me not, Nor in Thy fury chastise me.

²For Thine arrows have come down on me, And Thou lettest down upon me Thy hand.

³Soundness is not in my flesh, Because of Thine indignation, Peace is not in my bones because of my sin.

⁴For mine iniquities have passed over my head, As a heavy burden—too heavy for me.

⁵Stunk—become corrupt have my wounds, Because of my folly.

⁶I have been bent down, I have been bowed down—unto excess, All the day I have gone mourning.

⁷For my flanks have been full of drought, And soundness is not in my flesh.

⁸I have been feeble and smitten—unto excess, I have roared from disquietude of heart.

⁹Lord, before Thee is all my desire, And my sighing from Thee hath not been hid.

¹⁰My heart is panting, my power hath forsaken me, And the light of mine eyes, Even they are not with me.

¹¹My lovers and my friends over-against my plague stand. And my neighbours afar off have stood.

¹²And those seeking my soul lay a snare, And those seeking my evil Have spoken mischievous things, And they do deceits meditate all the day.

¹³And I, as deaf, hear not. And as a dumb one who openeth not his mouth.

¹⁴Yea, I am as a man who heareth not, And in his mouth are no reproofs.

¹⁵Because for Thee, O Jehovah, I have waited, Thou dost answer, O Lord my God.

¹⁶When I said, ‘Lest they rejoice over me, In the slipping of my foot against me they magnified themselves.

¹⁷For I am ready to halt, And my pain is before me continually.

¹⁸For mine iniquity I declare, I am sorry for my sin.

¹⁹And mine enemies are lively, They have been strong, and those hating me without cause, Have been multiplied.

²⁰And those paying evil for good accuse me, Because of my pursuing good.

²¹Do not forsake me, O Jehovah, My God, be not far from me,

²²Haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

Psalm 39

¹To the Overseer, to Jeduthun.—A Psalm of David. I have said, ‘I observe my ways, Against sinning with my tongue, I keep for my mouth a curb, while the wicked is before me.’

²I was dumb with silence, I kept silent from good, and my pain is excited.

³Hot is my heart within me, In my meditating doth the fire burn, I have spoken with my tongue.

⁴‘Cause me to know, O Jehovah, mine end, And the measure of my days—what it is,’ I know how frail I am.

⁵Lo, handbreadths Thou hast made my days, And mine age is as nothing before Thee, Only, all vanity is every man set up. Selah.

⁶Only, in an image doth each walk habitually, Only, in vain, they are disquieted, He heapeth up and knoweth not who gathereth them.

⁷And, now, what have I expected? O Lord, my hope—it is of Thee.

⁸From all my transgressions deliver me, A reproach of the fool make me not.

⁹I have been dumb, I open not my mouth, Because Thou—Thou hast done it.

¹⁰Turn aside from off me Thy stroke, From the striving of Thy hand I have been consumed.

¹¹With reproofs against iniquity, Thou hast corrected man, And dost waste as a moth his desirableness, Only, vanity is every man. Selah.

¹²Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, And to my cry give ear, Unto my tear be not silent, For a sojourner I am with Thee, A settler like all my fathers.

¹³Look from me, and I brighten up before I go and am not!

Psalm 40