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.