Psalm 37
37
He Will Not Forsake His Saints
# 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each stanza beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet Of David.
1 # ver. 7, 8; Prov. 24:19 Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not #Ps. 73:3; Prov. 3:31; 23:17; 24:1, 19envious of wrongdoers!
2For they will soon #Job 14:2; See Job 27:13-23 fade like #Ps. 90:5, 6 the grass
and wither #Ps. 129:6like the green herb.
3 #
Ps. 62:8; 115:9-11; Prov. 3:5; Isa. 26:4 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
#
Lev. 26:5; Prov. 2:21 dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.#37:3 Or and feed on faithfulness, or and find safe pasture
4 #
Job 22:26; Isa. 58:14; [Phil. 3:1; 4:4] Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will #Matt. 6:33give you the desires of your heart.
5 #
Ps. 22:8; 55:22; Prov. 16:3; 1 Pet. 5:7 Commit your way to the Lord;
# [See ver. 3 above] trust in him, and he will act.
6 #
Isa. 58:8, 10; Mic. 7:9 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as #Job 11:17the noonday.
7 # [Ps. 62:1; Isa. 30:15; Lam. 3:26] Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
# ver. 1 fret not yourself over the one who #Jer. 12:1prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
8 # [Eph. 4:26] Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
# [See ver. 7 above] Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 # ver. 2, 22 For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall #Ps. 25:13; Prov. 2:21; Isa. 57:13; 60:21inherit the land.
10In #Job 24:24 just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at #Job 7:10his place, he will not be there.
11But #Cited Matt. 5:5 the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in #Ps. 119:165; [Isa. 32:17]abundant peace.
12The wicked #Ps. 31:13 plots against the righteous
and #See Ps. 35:16gnashes his teeth at him,
13but the Lord #See Ps. 2:4 laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that his #See Job 18:20day is coming.
14The wicked draw the sword and #Ps. 7:12 bend their bows
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose #See Ps. 7:10way is upright;
15their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their #See 1 Sam. 2:4bows shall be broken.
16 #
Prov. 15:16; 16:8; [1 Tim. 6:6] Better is the little that the righteous has
than the abundance of many wicked.
17For #Ps. 10:15; Job 38:15; Ezek. 30:21, 22 the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the Lord #ver. 24upholds the righteous.
18The Lord #See Ps. 1:6 knows the days of the blameless,
and their #ver. 9heritage will remain forever;
19they are not put to shame in evil times;
in #Ps. 33:19; Job 5:20the days of famine they have abundance.
20But the wicked will perish;
the enemies of the Lord are like #[Matt. 6:30; James 1:11] the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like #Ps. 68:2; 102:3; Hos. 13:3smoke they vanish away.
21The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
but the righteous #ver. 26is generous and gives;
22for those blessed by the Lord#37:22 Hebrew by him shall #See ver. 9 inherit the land,
but those cursed by him #ver. 2shall be cut off.
23The #Ps. 25:12; 1 Sam. 2:9 steps of a man are #Ps. 40:2; 119:5established by the Lord,
when he delights in his way;
24 #
Prov. 24:16; Mic. 7:8; 2 Cor. 4:9 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the Lord #ver. 17upholds his hand.
25I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children #[Ps. 109:10; Job 15:23]begging for bread.
26He is ever #Ps. 112:5, 9; Deut. 15:8, 10; Matt. 5:42; Luke 6:35lending generously,
and his children become a blessing.
27 # See Ps. 34:14 Turn away from evil and do good;
so shall you #[Ps. 102:28]dwell forever.
28For the Lord #See Ps. 11:7 loves justice;
he will not forsake his #See Ps. 16:10 saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be #ver. 2, 9; Ps. 21:10; Prov. 2:22; Isa. 14:20cut off.
29The righteous shall inherit the land
and #[See ver. 27 above]dwell upon it forever.
30The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks justice.
31 #
Ps. 40:8; 119:11; Deut. 6:6; Isa. 51:7; Jer. 31:33; [Rom. 7:22] The law of his God is in his heart;
his #[Ps. 73:2]steps do not slip.
32The wicked #Ps. 10:8watches for the righteous
and seeks to put him to death.
33The Lord will not #[2 Pet. 2:9] abandon him to his power
or let him #Ps. 109:31be condemned when he is brought to trial.
34 # ver. 9; See Ps. 27:14 Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on #Ps. 52:5, 6; 91:8when the wicked are cut off.
35 # See Job 5:3 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
spreading himself like #[Ps. 52:8]a green laurel tree.#37:35 The identity of this tree is uncertain
36But he passed away,#37:36 Or But one passed by and behold, #ver. 10; Job 20:5he was no more;
though I sought him, he could not be found.
37Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is a future for the man of #ver. 11; Ps. 119:165; Isa. 57:2peace.
38But #[Ps. 52:5; 104:35; Prov. 2:22] transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the future of the wicked #Ps. 73:17; Job 18:17shall be cut off.
39 # See Ps. 3:8 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in #Ps. 9:9the time of trouble.
40The Lord helps them and #[Isa. 31:5; Acts 12:11] delivers them;
# [1 Chr. 5:20; Dan. 3:17, 28; 6:23] he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they #See Ps. 11:1take refuge in him.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Psalm 37
37
A Psalm of David.
א Aleph
1Fret not thyself because of evildoers,
Neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
2For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.
ב Bet
3Trust in the LORD, and do good;
So shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4Delight thyself also in the LORD;
And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
ג Gimel
5Commit thy way unto the LORD; Trust also in him;
And he shall bring it to pass.
6And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light,
And thy judgment as the noonday.
ד Dalet
7Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him:
Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
ה He
8Cease from anger, and forsake wrath:
Fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
9For evildoers shall be cut off:
But those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
ו Waw
10For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be:
Yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
11But the meek shall inherit the earth;
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
ז Zain
12The wicked plotteth against the just,
And gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
13The Lord shall laugh at him:
For he seeth that his day is coming.
ח Het
14The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow,
To cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.
15Their sword shall enter into their own heart,
And their bows shall be broken.
ט Tet
16A little that a righteous man hath is better
Than the riches of many wicked.
17For the arms of the wicked shall be broken:
But the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
י Yod
18The LORD knoweth the days of the upright:
And their inheritance shall be for ever.
19They shall not be ashamed in the evil time:
And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
כ Kaph
20But the wicked shall perish,
And the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs:
They shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.
ל Lamed
21The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again:
But the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.
22For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth;
And they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.
מ Mem
23The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD:
And he delighteth in his way.
24Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down:
For the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
נ Nun
25I have been young, and now am old;
Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth;
And his seed is blessed.
ס Samek
27Depart from evil, and do good;
And dwell for evermore.
28For the LORD loveth judgment,
ע Ain
And forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever:
But the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
29The righteous shall inherit the land,
And dwell therein for ever.
פ Pe
30The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom,
And his tongue talketh of judgment.
31The law of his God is in his heart;
None of his steps shall slide.
צ Zade
32The wicked watcheth the righteous,
And seeketh to slay him.
33The LORD will not leave him in his hand,
Nor condemn him when he is judged.
ק Qoph
34Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land:
When the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
ר Resh
35I have seen the wicked in great power,
And spreading himself like a green bay tree.
36Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not:
Yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
ש Shin
37Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright:
For the end of that man is peace.
38But the transgressors shall be destroyed together:
The end of the wicked shall be cut off.
ת Taw
39But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD:
He is their strength in the time of trouble.
40And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them:
He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
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