Psalm 37

He Will Not Forsake His Saints

Of David.

1  Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
2  For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.

3  Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.t
4  Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5  Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
6  He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.

7  Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!

8  Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9  For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

10  In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
11  But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.

12  The wicked plots against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him,
13  but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that his day is coming.

14  The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose way is upright;
15  their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their bows shall be broken.

16  Better is the little that the righteous has
than the abundance of many wicked.
17  For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.

18  The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
and their heritage will remain forever;
19  they are not put to shame in evil times;
in the days of famine they have abundance.

20  But the wicked will perish;
the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

21  The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
but the righteous is generous and gives;
22  for those blessed by the Lordt shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.

23  The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
when he delights in his way;
24  though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the Lord upholds his hand.

25  I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread.
26  He is ever lending generously,
and his children become a blessing.

27  Turn away from evil and do good;
so shall you dwell forever.
28  For the Lord loves justice;
he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29  The righteous shall inherit the land
and dwell upon it forever.

30  The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks justice.
31  The law of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not slip.

32  The wicked watches for the righteous
and seeks to put him to death.
33  The Lord will not abandon him to his power
or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.

34  Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on when the wicked are cut off.

35  I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
spreading himself like a green laurel tree.t
36  But he passed away,t and behold, he was no more;
though I sought him, he could not be found.

37  Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is a future for the man of peace.
38  But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the future of the wicked shall be cut off.

39  The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
40  The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.

Psalm 37

1 Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, Neither be thou envious against them that work unrighteousness.

2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb.

3 Trust in Jehovah, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on his faithfulness.

4 Delight thyself also in Jehovah; And he will give thee the desires of thy heart.

5 Commit thy way unto Jehovah; Trust also in him, and he will bring it to pass.

6 And he will make thy righteousness to go forth as the light, And thy justice as the noon-day.

7 Rest in Jehovah, 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.

8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: Fret not thyself, it tendeth only to evil-doing.

9 For evil-doers shall be cut off; But those that wait for Jehovah, they shall inherit the land.

10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: Yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and he shall not be.

11 But the meek shall inherit the land, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

12 The wicked plotteth against the just, And gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

13 The Lord will laugh at him; For he seeth that his day is coming.

14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay such as are upright in the way.

15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart, And their bows shall be broken.

16 Better is a little that the righteous hath Than the abundance of many wicked.

17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken; But Jehovah upholdeth the righteous.

18 Jehovah knoweth the days of the perfect; And their inheritance shall be for ever.

19 They shall not be put to shame in the time of evil; And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

20 But the wicked shall perish, And the enemies of Jehovah shall be as the fat of lambs: They shall consume; In smoke shall they consume away.

21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again; But the righteous dealeth graciously, and giveth.

22 For such as are blessed of him shall inherit the land; And they that are cursed of him shall be cut off.

23 A man’s goings are established of Jehovah; And he delighteth in his way.

24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For Jehovah upholdeth him with his hand.

25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his seed begging bread.

26 All the day long he dealeth graciously, and lendeth; And his seed is blessed.

27 Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell for evermore.

28 For Jehovah loveth justice, And forsaketh not his saints; They are preserved for ever: But the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

29 The righteous shall inherit the land, And dwell therein for ever.

30 The mouth of the righteous talketh of wisdom, And his tongue speaketh justice.

31 The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide.

32 The wicked watcheth the righteous, And seeketh to slay him.

33 Jehovah will not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him when he is judged.

34 Wait for Jehovah, and keep his way, And he will exalt thee to inherit the land: When the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

35 I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a green tree in its native soil.

36 But one passed by, and, lo, he was not: Yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; For there is a happy end to the man of peace.

38 As for transgressors, they shall be destroyed together; The end of the wicked shall be cut off.

39 But the salvation of the righteous is of Jehovah; He is their stronghold in the time of trouble.

40 And Jehovah helpeth them, and rescueth them; He rescueth them from the wicked, and saveth them, Because they have taken refuge in him.