Psalms 37

# 37 This psalm is a Hebrew acrostic poem; each stanza begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. A psalm of David.

1Don’t worry about the wicked

or envy those who do wrong.

2For like grass, they soon fade away.

Like spring flowers, they soon wither.

3Trust in the Lord and do good.

Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

4Take delight in the Lord,

and he will give you your heart’s desires.

5Commit everything you do to the Lord.

Trust him, and he will help you.

6He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,

and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.

7Be still in the presence of the Lord,

and wait patiently for him to act.

Don’t worry about evil people who prosper

or fret about their wicked schemes.

8Stop being angry!

Turn from your rage!

Do not lose your temper—

it only leads to harm.

9For the wicked will be destroyed,

but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.

10Soon the wicked will disappear.

Though you look for them, they will be gone.

11The lowly will possess the land

and will live in peace and prosperity.

12The wicked plot against the godly;

they snarl at them in defiance.

13But the Lord just laughs,

for he sees their day of judgment coming.

14The wicked draw their swords

and string their bows

to kill the poor and the oppressed,

to slaughter those who do right.

15But their swords will stab their own hearts,

and their bows will be broken.

16It is better to be godly and have little

than to be evil and rich.

17For the strength of the wicked will be shattered,

but the Lord takes care of the godly.

18Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent,

and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.

19They will not be disgraced in hard times;

even in famine they will have more than enough.

20But the wicked will die.

The Lord’s enemies are like flowers in a field—

they will disappear like smoke.

21The wicked borrow and never repay,

but the godly are generous givers.

22Those the Lord blesses will possess the land,

but those he curses will die.

23The Lord directs the steps of the godly.

He delights in every detail of their lives.

24Though they stumble, they will never fall,

for the Lord holds them by the hand.

25Once I was young, and now I am old.

Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned

or their children begging for bread.

26The godly always give generous loans to others,

and their children are a blessing.

27Turn from evil and do good,

and you will live in the land forever.

28For the Lord loves justice,

and he will never abandon the godly.

He will keep them safe forever,

but the children of the wicked will die.

29The godly will possess the land

and will live there forever.

30The godly offer good counsel;

they teach right from wrong.

31They have made God’s law their own,

so they will never slip from his path.

32The wicked wait in ambush for the godly,

looking for an excuse to kill them.

33But the Lord will not let the wicked succeed

or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial.

34Put your hope in the Lord.

Travel steadily along his path.

He will honor you by giving you the land.

You will see the wicked destroyed.

35I have seen wicked and ruthless people

flourishing like a tree in its native soil.

36But when I looked again, they were gone!

Though I searched for them, I could not find them!

37Look at those who are honest and good,

for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.

38But the rebellious will be destroyed;

they have no future.

39The Lord rescues the godly;

he is their fortress in times of trouble.

40The Lord helps them,

rescuing them from the wicked.

He saves them,

and they find shelter in him.

Currently Selected:

Psalms 37: NLT

Highlight

Copy

Compare

Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in

For more information about the NLT:

Learn More About New Living Translation

Psalms 37

Psalm 37

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

A Psalm of David.

1 # 37:1 One of the longer psalms, Ps 37 also has the distinction of having every other verse (sometimes succeeding verses) begin with a letter of the Hebrew in alphabetical order. This technique served as a memory aid. Do not worry because of evildoers,

Nor be envious toward wrongdoers;

2For they will wither quickly like the grass,

And fade like the green herb.

3Trust [rely on and have confidence] in the Lord and do good;

Dwell in the land and feed [securely] on His faithfulness.

4Delight yourself in the Lord,

And He will give you the desires and petitions of your heart.

5Commit your way to the Lord;

Trust in Him also and He will do it.

6He will make your righteousness [your pursuit of right standing with God] like the light,

And your judgment like [the shining of] the noonday [sun].

7¶Be still before the Lord; wait patiently for Him and entrust yourself to Him;

Do not fret (whine, agonize) because of him who prospers in his way,

Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.

8Cease from anger and abandon wrath;

Do not fret; it leads only to evil.

9For those who do evil will be cut off,

But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land. [Is 57:13c]

10For yet a little while and the wicked one will be gone [forever];

Though you look carefully where he used to be, he will not be [found]. [Heb 10:36, 37; Rev 21:7, 8]

11But the humble will [at last] inherit the land

And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity and peace. [Ps 37:29; Matt 5:5]

12¶The wicked plots against the righteous

And gnashes at him with his teeth.

13The Lord laughs at him [the wicked one—the one who oppresses the righteous],

For He sees that his day [of defeat] is coming.

14The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow

To cast down the afflicted and the needy,

To slaughter those who are upright in conduct [those with personal integrity and godly character].

15The sword [of the ungodly] will enter their own heart,

And their bow will be broken.

16¶Better is the little of the righteous [who seek the will of God]

Than the abundance (riches) of many wicked (godless). [1 Tim 6:6, 7]

17For the arms of the wicked will be broken,

But the Lord upholds and sustains the righteous [who seek Him].

18The Lord knows the days of the blameless,

And their inheritance will continue forever.

19They will not be #37:19 I.e. have their expectations in Your goodness be disappointed.ashamed in the time of evil,

And in the days of famine they will have plenty and be satisfied.

20But the wicked (ungodly) will perish,

And the enemies of the Lord will be like the #37:20 I.e. flowers.glory of the pastures and like the fat of lambs [that is consumed in smoke],

They vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

21The wicked borrows and does not pay back,

But the righteous is gracious and kind and gives.

22For those blessed by God will [at last] inherit the land,

But those cursed by Him will be cut off. [Is 57:13c]

23¶The steps of a [good and righteous] man are directed and established by the Lord,

And He delights in his way [and blesses his path].

24When he falls, he will not be hurled down,

Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand and sustains him.

25I have been young and now I am old,

Yet I have not seen the righteous (those in right standing with God) abandoned

Or his descendants pleading for bread.

26All day long he is gracious and lends,

And his descendants are a blessing.

27¶Depart from evil and do good;

And you will dwell [securely in the land] forever.

28For the Lord delights in justice

And does not abandon His saints (faithful ones);

They are preserved forever,

But the descendants of the wicked will [in time] be cut off.

29The righteous will inherit the land

And live in it forever.

30The mouth of the righteous proclaims wisdom,

And his tongue speaks justice and truth.

31The law of his God is in his heart;

Not one of his steps will slip.

32The wicked lies in wait for the righteous

And seeks to kill him.

33The Lord will not leave him in his hand

Or let him be condemned when he is judged.

34Wait for and expect the Lord and keep His way,

And He will exalt you to inherit the land;

[In the end] when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

35¶I have seen a wicked, violent man [with great power]

Spreading and flaunting himself like a cedar in its native soil,

36Yet he passed away, and lo, he was no more;

I sought him, but he could not be found.

37Mark the blameless man [who is spiritually complete], and behold the upright [who walks in moral integrity];

There is a [good] future for the man of peace [because a life of honor blesses one’s descendants].

38As for transgressors, they will be completely destroyed;

The future of the wicked will be cut off.

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

He is their refuge and stronghold in the time of trouble.

40The Lord helps them and rescues them;

He rescues them from the wicked and saves them,

Because they take refuge in Him.

Amplified® Bible

The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631

Learn More About Amplified Bible