Psalm 37
By David.
1 Do not fret when wicked men seem to succeed!
Do not envy evildoers!
2 For they will quickly dry up like grass,
and wither away like plants.
3 Trust in the Lord and do what is right!
Settle in the land and maintain your integrity!
4 Then you will take delight in the Lord,
and he will answer your prayers.
5 Commit your future to the Lord!
Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf.
6 He will vindicate you in broad daylight,
and publicly defend your just cause.
7 Wait patiently for the Lord!
Wait confidently for him!
Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner,
a man who carries out wicked schemes!
8 Do not be angry and frustrated!
Do not fret! That only leads to trouble!
9 Wicked men will be wiped out,
but those who rely on the Lord are the ones who will possess the land.
10 Evil men will soon disappear;
you will stare at the spot where they once were, but they will be gone.
11 But the oppressed will possess the land
and enjoy great prosperity.
12 Evil men plot against the godly
and viciously attack them.
13 The Lord laughs in disgust at them,
for he knows that their day is coming.
14 Evil men draw their swords
and prepare their bows,
to bring down the oppressed and needy,
and to slaughter those who are godly.
15 Their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
16 The little bit that a godly man owns is better than
the wealth of many evil men,
17 for evil men will lose their power,
but the Lord sustains the godly.
18 The Lord watches over the innocent day by day
and they possess a permanent inheritance.
19 They will not be ashamed when hard times come;
when famine comes they will have enough to eat.
20 But evil men will die;
the Lord’s enemies will be incinerated –
they will go up in smoke.
21 Evil men borrow, but do not repay their debt,
but the godly show compassion and are generous.
22 Surely those favored by the Lord will possess the land,
but those rejected by him will be wiped out.
23 The Lord grants success to the one
whose behavior he finds commendable.
24 Even if he trips, he will not fall headlong,
for the Lord holds his hand.
25 I was once young, now I am old.
I have never seen a godly man abandoned,
or his children forced to search for food.
26 All day long he shows compassion and lends to others,
and his children are blessed.
27 Turn away from evil! Do what is right!
Then you will enjoy lasting security.
28 For the Lord promotes justice,
and never abandons his faithful followers.
They are permanently secure,
but the children of evil men are wiped out.
29 The godly will possess the land
and will dwell in it permanently.
30 The godly speak wise words
and promote justice.
31 The law of their God controls their thinking;
their feet do not slip.
32 Evil men set an ambush for the godly
and try to kill them.
33 But the Lord does not surrender the godly,
or allow them to be condemned in a court of law.
34 Rely on the Lord! Obey his commands!
Then he will permit you to possess the land;
you will see the demise of evil men.
35 I have seen ruthless evil men
growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil.
36 But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared!
I looked for them, but they could not be found.
37 Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly!
For the one who promotes peace has a future.
38 Sinful rebels are totally destroyed;
evil men have no future.
39 But the Lord delivers the godly;
he protects them in times of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and rescues them;
he rescues them from evil men and delivers them,
for they seek his protection.
PSALMS 37
Trust the [Lord]
1 Don't be annoyed by anyone
who does wrong,
and don't envy them.
2 They will soon disappear
like grass without rain.
3 Trust the [Lord] and live right!
The land will be yours,
and you will be safe.
4 Do what the [Lord] wants,
and he will give you
your heart's desire.
5 Let the [Lord] lead you
and trust him to help.
6 Then it will be as clear
as the noonday sun
that you were right.
7 Be patient and trust the [Lord].
Don't let it bother you
when all goes well for those
who do sinful things.
8 Don't be angry or furious.
Anger can lead to sin.
9 All sinners will disappear,
but if you trust the [Lord],
the land will be yours.
10 Sinners will soon disappear,
never to be found,
11 t but the poor will take the land
and enjoy a big harvest.
12 Merciless people make plots
against good people
and snarl like animals,
13 but the Lord laughs and knows
their time is coming soon.
14 The wicked kill with swords
and shoot arrows to murder
the poor and the needy
and all who do right.
15 But they will be killed
by their own swords,
and their arrows
will be broken.
16 It is better to live right
and be poor
than to be sinful and rich.
17 The wicked will lose all
of their power,
but the [Lord] gives strength
to everyone who is good.
18 Those who obey the [Lord]
are daily in his care,
and what he has given them
will be theirs forever.
19 They won't be in trouble
when times are bad,
and they will have plenty
when food is scarce.
20 Wicked people are enemies
of the [Lord]
and will vanish like smoke
from a field on fire.
21 An evil person borrows
and never pays back;
a good person is generous
and never stops giving.
22 Everyone the [Lord] blesses
will receive the land;
everyone the [Lord] curses
will be destroyed.
23 If you do what the [Lord] wants,
he will make certain
each step you take is sure.
24 The [Lord] will hold your hand,
and if you stumble,
you still won't fall.
25 As long as I can remember,
good people have never
been left helpless,
and their children have never
gone begging for food.
26 They gladly give and lend,
and their children
turn out good.
27 If you stop sinning
and start doing right,
you will keep living
and be secure forever.
28 The [Lord] loves justice,
and he won't ever desert
his faithful people.
He always protects them,
but destroys the children
of the wicked.
29 God's people will own the land
and live here forever.
30 Words of wisdom come
when good people speak
for justice.
31 They remember God's teachings,
and they never take
a wrong step.
32 The wicked try to trap
and kill good people,
33 but the [Lord] is on their side,
and he will defend them
when they are on trial.
34 Trust the [Lord] and follow him.
He will give you the land,
and you will see
the wicked destroyed.
35 I have seen brutal people
abuse others and grow strong
like trees in rich soil.t
36 Suddenly they disappeared!
I looked, but they were gone
and no longer there.
37 Think of the bright future
waiting for all the families
of honest, innocent,
and peace-loving people.
38 But not a trace will be left
of the wicked
or their families.
39 The [Lord] protects his people,
and they can come to him
in times of trouble.
40 The [Lord] helps his people
and saves them from the wicked
because they run to him.