PSALM 37

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

A Psalm of David.

1 aDo not fret because of evildoers,

Be not benvious toward wrongdoers.

2 For they will awither quickly like the grass

And bfade like the green herb.

3 aTrust in the Lord and do good;

bDwell in the land and 1ccultivate faithfulness.

4 aDelight yourself in the Lord;

And He will bgive you the desires of your heart.

5 aCommit your way to the Lord,

Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

6 He will bring forth ayour righteousness as the light

And your judgment bas the noonday.

7 1Rest in the Lord and await 2patiently for Him;

bDo not fret because of him who cprospers in his way,

Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.

8 Cease from anger and aforsake wrath;

Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.

9 For aevildoers will be cut off,

But those who wait for the Lord, they will binherit the land.

10 Yet aa little while and the wicked man will be no more;

And you will look carefully for bhis place and he will not be there.

11 But athe humble will inherit the land

And will delight themselves in babundant prosperity.

12 The wicked aplots against the righteous

And bgnashes at him with his teeth.

13 The Lord alaughs at him,

For He sees bhis day is coming.

14 The wicked have drawn the sword and abent their bow

To cast down the bafflicted and the needy,

To cslay those who are upright in conduct.

15 Their sword will enter their own heart,

And their abows will be broken.

16 aBetter is the little of the righteous

Than the abundance of many wicked.

17 For the aarms of the wicked will be broken,

But the Lord bsustains the righteous.

18 The Lord aknows the days of the 1blameless,

And their binheritance will be forever.

19 They will not be ashamed in the time of evil,

And ain the days of famine they will have abundance.

20 But the awicked will perish;

And the enemies of the Lord will be like the 1glory of the pastures,

They vanish—blike smoke they vanish away.

21 The wicked borrows and does not pay back,

But the righteous ais gracious and gives.

22 For athose blessed by Him will binherit the land,

But those ccursed by Him will be cut off.

23 aThe steps of a man are established by the Lord,

And He bdelights in his way.

24 When ahe falls, he will not be hurled headlong,

Because bthe Lord is the One 1who holds his hand.

25 I have been young and now I am old,

Yet aI have not seen the righteous forsaken

Or bhis 1descendants begging bread.

26 All day long ahe is gracious and lends,

And bhis 1descendants are a blessing.

27 aDepart from evil and do good,

1So you will abide bforever.

28 For the Lord aloves 1justice

And bdoes not forsake His godly ones;

They are cpreserved forever,

But the 2ddescendants of the wicked will be cut off.

29 The righteous will ainherit the land

And bdwell in it forever.

30 The mouth of the righteous autters wisdom,

And his tongue bspeaks justice.

31 The alaw of his God is in his heart;

His bsteps do not slip.

32 The awicked spies upon the righteous

And bseeks to kill him.

33 The Lord will anot leave him in his hand

Or blet him be condemned when he is judged.

34 aWait for the Lord and keep His way,

And He will exalt you to inherit the land;

When the bwicked are cut off, you will see it.

35 I have aseen a wicked, violent man

Spreading himself like a bluxuriant 1tree in its native soil.

36 Then 1he passed away, and lo, he awas no more;

I sought for him, but he could not be found.

37 Mark the 1ablameless man, and behold the bupright;

For the man of peace will have a 2cposterity.

38 But transgressors will be altogether adestroyed;

The 1posterity of the wicked will be bcut off.

39 But the asalvation of the righteous is from the Lord;

He is their strength bin time of trouble.

40 aThe Lord helps them and delivers them;

He bdelivers them from the wicked and saves them,

Because they ctake refuge in Him.