Psalms 37
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.
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Psalms 37: NLT
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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Psalms 37
37
PSALM 37
A Psalm of David.
1Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, and be not envious of them that work unrighteousness; 2for they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and fade as the green herb. 3Confide in Jehovah, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on faithfulness; 4and delight thyself in Jehovah, and he will give thee the desires of thy heart. 5Commit thy way unto Jehovah, and rely upon him: he will bring it to pass; 6and he will bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7Rest in Jehovah, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him that prospereth in his way, because of the man that bringeth mischievous devices to pass. 8Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; fret not thyself: it would be only to do evil. 9For evil-doers shall be cut off; but those that wait on Jehovah, they shall possess the land. 10For yet a little while, and the wicked is not; and thou considerest his place, but he is not. 11But the meek shall possess the land, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of prosperity. 12The wicked plotteth against the righteous, and gnasheth his teeth against him. 13The Lord laugheth at him; for he seeth that his day is coming. 14The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the afflicted and needy, to slay those that are upright in the way: 15their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. 16The little that the righteous hath is better than the abundance of many wicked; 17for the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but Jehovah upholdeth the righteous. 18Jehovah knoweth the days of the perfect; and their inheritance shall be for ever: 19they shall not be ashamed in the time of evil, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. 20For the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of Jehovah shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume, like smoke shall they consume away.
21The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again; but the righteous is gracious and giveth: 22for those blessed of him shall possess the land, and they that are cursed of him shall be cut off. 23The steps of a man are established by Jehovah, and he delighteth in his way: 24though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, for Jehovah upholdeth his hand. 25I have been young, and now am old, and I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed seeking bread: 26all the day he is gracious and lendeth, and his seed shall be a blessing. 27Depart from evil, and do good, and dwell for evermore; 28for Jehovah loveth judgment, and will not forsake his saints: They are preserved for ever; but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. 29The righteous shall possess the land, and dwell therein for ever. 30The mouth of the righteous proffereth wisdom, and his tongue speaketh judgment; 31the law of his God#GodHebrew: Elohim is in his heart; his goings shall not slide. 32The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him: 33Jehovah will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
34Wait for Jehovah, and keep his way, and he will exalt thee to possess the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. 35I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading like a green tree in its native soil: 36but he passed away, and behold, he was not; and I sought him, but he was not found. 37Mark the perfect, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace; 38but the transgressors shall be destroyed together; the future of the wicked shall be cut off. 39But the salvation of the righteous is of Jehovah: he is their strength in the time of trouble. 40And Jehovah will help them and deliver them: he will deliver them from the wicked, and save them; for they trust in him.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.