Psalm 37

Of David.

¹ Be not kindled to wrath at the wicked, nor envious of those who work wrong;

² for, like grass, they will speedily wither, and fade like the green of young grass.

³ Trust in the Lord, and do good; remain in the land, and deal faithfully:

⁴ then the Lord will be your delight, he will grant you your heart’s petitions.

⁵ Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act,

⁶ making clear as the light your right, and your just cause clear as the noon-day.

⁷ In silence and patience wait on the Lord. Be not kindled to anger at those who prosper. At those who execute evil devices.

⁸ Desist from anger, abandon wrath: be not kindled to anger it leads but to evil:

⁹ for evildoers will be cut off, but the land will be theirs, who wait on the Lord.

¹⁰ Yet but a little, and the wicked vanish: look at their place: they are there no more.

¹¹ But the humble will have the land, and the rapture of peace in abundance.

¹² The wicked plots against the righteous, snarls like a wild animal;

¹³ the Lord laughs, for he sees that his day is coming.

¹⁴ The wicked have drawn the sword, and bent the bow, to fell the poor, to slay those who walk uprightly;

¹⁵ but their sword will pierce their own heart, and their bows will be broken in pieces.

¹⁶ Better is the righteous person’s little than the wealth of many wicked.

¹⁷ For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.

¹⁸ The Lord watches over the days of the blameless, their heritage will continue forever.

¹⁹ They will not be shamed in the evil time, in the days of famine they will be satisfied.

²⁰ Because the wicked will perish: but the foes of the Lord, like a brand in the oven, will vanish, like smoke they will vanish.

²¹ The wicked must borrow and cannot pay back, but the righteous is lavish and gives.

²² For those blest by the Lord inherit the land, while those whom he curses will be cut off.

²³ The Lord supports the steps of those with whom he is pleased.

²⁴ Though they fall, they will not be cast headlong, for the Lord holds their hands.

²⁵ Never, from youth to age, have I seen the righteous forsaken, or their children begging bread.

²⁶ They are ever lavishly lending, and their children are fountains of blessing.

²⁷ Turn away from evil and do good and you will live in the land forever.

²⁸ For the Lord loves justice, he does not forsake his friends. The unrighteous will be destroyed forever, and the seed of the wicked will be cut off.

²⁹ But the land will belong to the righteous, they will live upon it forever,

³⁰ The mouth of the righteous murmurs wisdom, and words of justice are on their tongues.

³¹ The law of their God is in their heart, their steps are never unsteady.

³² The wicked watches the righteous, and seeks to put them to death.

³³ But the Lord leaves them not in their hand: at their trial they will not be held guilty.

³⁴ Wait on the Lord, and observe his way: he will lift you to honour the land will be yours, you will feast your eyes on the doom of the wicked.

³⁵ I have seen the wicked exultant, lifting themselves like a cedar of Lebanon.

³⁶ But the moment I passed, they vanished! I sought for them, but they could not be found.

³⁷ Preserve your honour and practise uprightness, for such a person fares well in the end.

³⁸ But transgressors will perish together. Cut off are the wicked forever.

³⁹ The righteous are saved by the Lord, who in time of distress is their refuge:

⁴⁰ the Lord helps and rescue them, from the wicked he rescues and saves them, because they take refuge in him.