Psalm 32

The Joy of Forgiveness

Davidic. A Maskil.

How joyful is the one
whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered!(A)
How joyful is the man
the Lord does not charge with sin(B)
and in whose spirit is no deceit!(C)

When I kept silent, my bones became brittle
from my groaning all day long.(D)
For day and night Your hand was heavy on me;(E)
my strength was drained[a]
as in the summer’s heat.(F)Selah
Then I acknowledged my sin to You
and did not conceal my iniquity.
I said,
“I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and You took away the guilt of my sin.(G)Selah

Therefore let everyone who is faithful pray to You
at a time that You may be found.[b](H)
When great floodwaters come,
they will not reach him.(I)
You are my hiding place;(J)
You protect me from trouble.(K)
You surround me with joyful shouts of deliverance.Selah

I will instruct you and show you the way to go;(L)
with My eye on you, I will give counsel.(M)
Do not be like a horse or mule,
without understanding,
that must be controlled with bit and bridle
or else it will not come near you.(N)

10 Many pains come to the wicked,(O)
but the one who trusts in the Lord
will have faithful love surrounding him.(P)
11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice,
you righteous ones;
shout for joy,
all you upright in heart.(Q)

Psalm 33

Praise to the Creator

Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones;
praise from the upright is beautiful.(R)
Praise the Lord with the lyre;
make music to Him with a ten-stringed harp.(S)
Sing a new song to Him;(T)
play skillfully on the strings, with a joyful shout.(U)

For the word of the Lord is right,
and all His work is trustworthy.(V)
He loves righteousness and justice;(W)
the earth is full of the Lord’s unfailing love.(X)

The heavens were made by the word of the Lord,(Y)
and all the stars, by the breath of His mouth.(Z)
He gathers the waters of the sea into a heap;[c]
He puts the depths into storehouses.(AA)
Let the whole earth tremble before the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.(AB)
For He spoke, and it came into being;
He commanded, and it came into existence.(AC)

10 The Lord frustrates the counsel of the nations;
He thwarts the plans of the peoples.(AD)
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
the plans of His heart from generation to generation.(AE)
12 Happy is the nation whose God is Yahweh—
the people He has chosen to be His own possession!(AF)

13 The Lord looks down from heaven;
He observes everyone.(AG)
14 He gazes on all the inhabitants of the earth
from His dwelling place.(AH)
15 He alone shapes their hearts;
He considers all their works.(AI)
16 A king is not saved by a large army;
a warrior will not be delivered by great strength.(AJ)
17 The horse is a false hope for safety;
it provides no escape by its great power.(AK)

18 Now the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him—
those who depend on His faithful love(AL)
19 to deliver them from death
and to keep them alive in famine.(AM)

20 We wait for Yahweh;(AN)
He is our help and shield.(AO)
21 For our hearts rejoice in Him(AP)
because we trust in His holy name.(AQ)
22 May Your faithful love rest on us, Yahweh,
for we put our hope in You.(AR)

Psalm 34

The Lord Delivers the Righteous

Concerning David, when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech,[d](AS) who drove him out, and he departed.

I[e] will praise the Lord at all times;
His praise will always be on my lips.(AT)
I will boast in the Lord;(AU)
the humble will hear and be glad.(AV)
Proclaim Yahweh’s greatness with me;(AW)
let us exalt His name together.(AX)

I sought the Lord, and He answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.(AY)
Those who look to Him are[f] radiant with joy;(AZ)
their faces will never be ashamed.(BA)
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him from all his troubles.(BB)
The Angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear Him, and rescues them.(BC)

Taste and see that the Lord is good.(BD)
How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him!(BE)
You who are His holy ones, fear Yahweh,
for those who fear Him lack nothing.(BF)
10 Young lions[g] lack food and go hungry,(BG)
but those who seek the Lord
will not lack any good thing.(BH)

11 Come, children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.(BI)
12 Who is the man who delights in life,
loving a long life to enjoy what is good?(BJ)
13 Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from deceitful speech.(BK)
14 Turn away from evil and do what is good;(BL)
seek peace and pursue it.(BM)

15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and His ears are open to their cry for help.(BN)
16 The face of the Lord is set
against those who do what is evil,(BO)
to erase[h] all memory of them from the earth.(BP)
17 The righteous[i] cry out, and the Lord hears,
and delivers them from all their troubles.(BQ)
18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted;
He saves those crushed in spirit.(BR)

19 Many adversities come to the one who is righteous,
but the Lord delivers him from them all.(BS)
20 He protects all his bones;
not one of them is broken.(BT)
21 Evil brings death to the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be punished.(BU)
22 The Lord redeems the life of His servants,
and all who take refuge in Him will not be punished.(BV)

Psalm 35

Prayer for Victory

Davidic.

Oppose my opponents, Lord;
fight those who fight me.(BW)
Take Your shields—large and small—
and come to my aid.(BX)
Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers,
and assure me: “I am your deliverance.”(BY)

Let those who seek to kill me
be disgraced and humiliated;
let those who plan to harm me
be turned back and ashamed.(BZ)
Let them be like chaff in the wind,
with the angel of the Lord driving them away.(CA)
Let their way be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.(CB)
They hid their net for me without cause;
they dug a pit for me without cause.(CC)
Let ruin come on him unexpectedly,
and let the net that he hid ensnare him;
let him fall into it—to his ruin.(CD)

Then I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will delight in His deliverance.(CE)
10 My very bones will say,
Lord, who is like You,(CF)
rescuing the poor from one too strong for him,
the poor or the needy from one who robs him?”(CG)

11 Malicious witnesses come forward;
they question me about things I do not know.(CH)
12 They repay me evil for good,
making me desolate.(CI)
13 Yet when they were sick,
my clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled myself with fasting,
and my prayer was genuine.[j](CJ)
14 I went about grieving as if for my friend or brother;
I was bowed down with grief,
like one mourning a mother.(CK)
15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;
they gathered against me.
Assailants I did not know
tore at me and did not stop.(CL)
16 With godless mockery[k]
they gnashed their teeth at me.(CM)

17 Lord, how long will You look on?(CN)
Rescue my life from their ravages,
my only one from the young lions.(CO)
18 I will praise You in the great congregation;
I will exalt You among many people.(CP)
19 Do not let my deceitful enemies rejoice over me;
do not let those who hate me without cause(CQ)
look at me maliciously.(CR)
20 For they do not speak in friendly ways,
but contrive deceitful schemes[l]
against those who live peacefully in the land.(CS)
21 They open their mouths wide against me and say,
“Aha, aha! We saw it!”[m](CT)

22 You saw it, Lord; do not be silent.
Lord, do not be far from me.(CU)
23 Wake up and rise to my defense,
to my cause, my God and my Lord!(CV)
24 Vindicate me, Lord my God,
in keeping with Your righteousness,
and do not let them rejoice over me.(CW)
25 Do not let them say in their hearts,
“Aha! Just what we wanted.”
Do not let them say,
“We have swallowed him up!”(CX)
26 Let those who rejoice at my misfortune
be disgraced and humiliated;
let those who exalt themselves over me
be clothed with shame and reproach.(CY)

27 Let those who want my vindication
shout for joy and be glad;
let them continually say,
“The Lord be exalted.
He takes pleasure in His servant’s well-being.”(CZ)
28 And my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness,
Your praise all day long.(DA)

Psalm 36

Human Wickedness and God’s Love

For the choir director. A psalm of David, the Lord’s servant.

An oracle within my heart
concerning the transgression of the wicked person:
There is no dread of God before his eyes,(DB)
for in his own eyes he flatters himself too much
to discover and hate his sin.(DC)
The words of his mouth are malicious and deceptive;(DD)
he has stopped acting wisely and doing good.(DE)
Even on his bed he makes malicious plans.(DF)
He sets himself on a path that is not good
and does not reject evil.(DG)

Lord, Your faithful love reaches to heaven,
Your faithfulness to the clouds.(DH)
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains;
Your judgments, like the deepest sea.(DI)
Lord, You preserve man and beast.(DJ)
God, Your faithful love is so valuable
that people take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.(DK)
They are filled from the abundance of Your house;
You let them drink from Your refreshing stream,(DL)
for with You is life’s fountain.(DM)
In Your light we will see light.(DN)

10 Spread Your faithful love over those who know You,
and Your righteousness over the upright in heart.(DO)
11 Do not let the foot of the arrogant man come near me
or the hand of the wicked one drive me away.(DP)
12 There the evildoers fall;
they have been thrown down and cannot rise.(DQ)

Psalm 37

Instruction in Wisdom

Davidic.

Do[n] not be agitated by evildoers;
do not envy those who do wrong.(DR)
For they wither quickly like grass
and wilt like tender green plants.(DS)

Trust in the Lord and do what is good;(DT)
dwell in the land and live securely.[o](DU)
Take delight in the Lord,
and He will give you your heart’s desires.(DV)

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in Him, and He will act,(DW)
making your righteousness shine like the dawn,
your justice like the noonday.(DX)

Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him;(DY)
do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way,
by the man who carries out evil plans.(DZ)

Refrain from anger and give up your rage;
do not be agitated—it can only bring harm.(EA)
For evildoers will be destroyed,
but those who put their hope in the Lord
will inherit the land.[p](EB)

10 A little while, and the wicked person will be no more;
though you look for him, he will not be there.(EC)
11 But the humble will inherit the land[q](ED)
and will enjoy abundant prosperity.(EE)

12 The wicked person schemes against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him.(EF)
13 The Lord laughs at him(EG)
because He sees that his day is coming.(EH)

14 The wicked have drawn the sword and strung the[r] bow
to bring down the afflicted and needy
and to slaughter those whose way is upright.(EI)
15 Their swords will enter their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.(EJ)

16 The little that the righteous man has is better
than the abundance of many wicked people.(EK)
17 For the arms[s] of the wicked will be broken,(EL)
but the Lord supports the righteous.(EM)

18 The Lord watches over the blameless all their days,
and their inheritance will last forever.(EN)
19 They will not be disgraced in times of adversity;
they will be satisfied in days of hunger.(EO)

20 But the wicked will perish;
the Lord’s enemies, like the glory of the pastures,
will fade away—
they will fade away like smoke.(EP)

21 The wicked man borrows and does not repay,
but the righteous one is gracious and giving.(EQ)
22 Those who are blessed by Him will inherit the land,[t]
but those cursed by Him will be destroyed.(ER)

23 A man’s steps are established by the Lord,
and He takes pleasure in his way.(ES)
24 Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed,
because the Lord holds his hand.[u](ET)

25 I have been young and now I am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned
or his children begging for bread.(EU)
26 He is always generous, always lending,
and his children are a blessing.(EV)

27 Turn away from evil and do what is good,
and dwell there[v] forever.(EW)
28 For the Lord loves justice
and will not abandon His faithful ones.(EX)
They are kept safe forever,
but the children of the wicked will be destroyed.(EY)
29 The righteous will inherit the land[w]
and dwell in it permanently.(EZ)

30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom;
his tongue speaks what is just.(FA)
31 The instruction of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not falter.(FB)

32 The wicked one lies in wait for the righteous
and seeks to kill him;(FC)
33 the Lord will not leave him
in the power of the wicked one
or allow him to be condemned when he is judged.(FD)

34 Wait for the Lord and keep His way,
and He will exalt you to inherit the land.
You will watch when the wicked are destroyed.(FE)

35 I have seen a wicked, violent man
well-rooted[x] like a flourishing native tree.(FF)
36 Then I passed by and[y] noticed he was gone;
I searched for him, but he could not be found.(FG)

37 Watch the blameless and observe the upright,
for the man of peace will have a future.[z](FH)
38 But transgressors will all be eliminated;
the future[aa] of the wicked will be destroyed.(FI)

39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord,
their refuge in a time of distress.(FJ)
40 The Lord helps and delivers them;
He will deliver them from the wicked and will save them
because they take refuge in Him.(FK)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 32:4 Hb obscure
  2. Psalm 32:6 Lit time of finding
  3. Psalm 33:7 LXX, Tg, Syr, Vg, Jer read sea as in a bottle
  4. Psalm 34:1 Probably Achish, king of Gath
  5. Psalm 34:1 The lines of this poem form an acrostic.
  6. Psalm 34:5 Some Hb mss, LXX, Aq, Syr, Jer read Look to Him and be
  7. Psalm 34:10 LXX, Syr, Vg read The rich
  8. Psalm 34:16 Or cut off
  9. Psalm 34:17 Lit They
  10. Psalm 35:13 Lit prayer returned to my chest
  11. Psalm 35:16 Hb obscure
  12. Psalm 35:20 Lit but devise deceitful words
  13. Psalm 35:21 Lit Our eyes saw!
  14. Psalm 37:1 The lines of this poem form an acrostic.
  15. Psalm 37:3 Or and cultivate faithfulness
  16. Psalm 37:9 Or earth
  17. Psalm 37:11 Or earth
  18. Psalm 37:14 Lit their
  19. Psalm 37:17 Or power
  20. Psalm 37:22 Or earth
  21. Psalm 37:24 Or Lord supports with His hand
  22. Psalm 37:27 = dwell in the land
  23. Psalm 37:29 Or earth
  24. Psalm 37:35 Hb obscure
  25. Psalm 37:36 DSS, LXX, Syr, Vg, Jer; MT reads Then he passed away, and I
  26. Psalm 37:37 Or posterity
  27. Psalm 37:38 Or posterity

Psalm 32

Of David. A maskil.[a]

Blessed is the one
    whose transgressions are forgiven,
    whose sins are covered.(A)
Blessed is the one
    whose sin the Lord does not count against them(B)
    and in whose spirit is no deceit.(C)

When I kept silent,(D)
    my bones wasted away(E)
    through my groaning(F) all day long.
For day and night
    your hand was heavy(G) on me;
my strength was sapped(H)
    as in the heat of summer.[b]

Then I acknowledged my sin to you
    and did not cover up my iniquity.(I)
I said, “I will confess(J)
    my transgressions(K) to the Lord.”
And you forgave
    the guilt of my sin.(L)

Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
    while you may be found;(M)
surely the rising(N) of the mighty waters(O)
    will not reach them.(P)
You are my hiding place;(Q)
    you will protect me from trouble(R)
    and surround me with songs of deliverance.(S)

I will instruct(T) you and teach you(U) in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my loving eye on(V) you.
Do not be like the horse or the mule,
    which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle(W)
    or they will not come to you.
10 Many are the woes of the wicked,(X)
    but the Lord’s unfailing love
    surrounds the one who trusts(Y) in him.

11 Rejoice in the Lord(Z) and be glad, you righteous;
    sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Psalm 33

Sing joyfully(AA) to the Lord, you righteous;
    it is fitting(AB) for the upright(AC) to praise him.
Praise the Lord with the harp;(AD)
    make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.(AE)
Sing to him a new song;(AF)
    play skillfully, and shout for joy.(AG)

For the word of the Lord is right(AH) and true;(AI)
    he is faithful(AJ) in all he does.
The Lord loves righteousness and justice;(AK)
    the earth is full of his unfailing love.(AL)

By the word(AM) of the Lord the heavens were made,(AN)
    their starry host(AO) by the breath of his mouth.
He gathers the waters(AP) of the sea into jars[c];(AQ)
    he puts the deep into storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;(AR)
    let all the people of the world(AS) revere him.(AT)
For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded,(AU) and it stood firm.

10 The Lord foils(AV) the plans(AW) of the nations;(AX)
    he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm(AY) forever,
    the purposes(AZ) of his heart through all generations.

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,(BA)
    the people he chose(BB) for his inheritance.(BC)
13 From heaven the Lord looks down(BD)
    and sees all mankind;(BE)
14 from his dwelling place(BF) he watches
    all who live on earth—
15 he who forms(BG) the hearts of all,
    who considers everything they do.(BH)

16 No king is saved by the size of his army;(BI)
    no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse(BJ) is a vain hope for deliverance;
    despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes(BK) of the Lord are on those who fear him,
    on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,(BL)
19 to deliver them from death(BM)
    and keep them alive in famine.(BN)

20 We wait(BO) in hope for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,(BP)
    for we trust in his holy name.(BQ)
22 May your unfailing love(BR) be with us, Lord,
    even as we put our hope in you.

Psalm 34[d][e]

Of David. When he pretended to be insane(BS) before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.

I will extol the Lord at all times;(BT)
    his praise will always be on my lips.
I will glory(BU) in the Lord;
    let the afflicted hear and rejoice.(BV)
Glorify the Lord(BW) with me;
    let us exalt(BX) his name together.

I sought the Lord,(BY) and he answered me;
    he delivered(BZ) me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;(CA)
    their faces are never covered with shame.(CB)
This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
    he saved him out of all his troubles.(CC)
The angel of the Lord(CD) encamps around those who fear him,
    and he delivers(CE) them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good;(CF)
    blessed is the one who takes refuge(CG) in him.
Fear the Lord,(CH) you his holy people,
    for those who fear him lack nothing.(CI)
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.(CJ)
11 Come, my children, listen(CK) to me;
    I will teach you(CL) the fear of the Lord.(CM)
12 Whoever of you loves life(CN)
    and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue(CO) from evil
    and your lips from telling lies.(CP)
14 Turn from evil and do good;(CQ)
    seek peace(CR) and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord(CS) are on the righteous,(CT)
    and his ears are attentive(CU) to their cry;
16 but the face of the Lord is against(CV) those who do evil,(CW)
    to blot out their name(CX) from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears(CY) them;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close(CZ) to the brokenhearted(DA)
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 The righteous person may have many troubles,(DB)
    but the Lord delivers him from them all;(DC)
20 he protects all his bones,
    not one of them will be broken.(DD)

21 Evil will slay the wicked;(DE)
    the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord will rescue(DF) his servants;
    no one who takes refuge(DG) in him will be condemned.

Psalm 35

Of David.

Contend,(DH) Lord, with those who contend with me;
    fight(DI) against those who fight against me.
Take up shield(DJ) and armor;
    arise(DK) and come to my aid.(DL)
Brandish spear(DM) and javelin[f](DN)
    against those who pursue me.
Say to me,
    “I am your salvation.(DO)

May those who seek my life(DP)
    be disgraced(DQ) and put to shame;(DR)
may those who plot my ruin
    be turned back(DS) in dismay.
May they be like chaff(DT) before the wind,
    with the angel of the Lord(DU) driving them away;
may their path be dark and slippery,
    with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.

Since they hid their net(DV) for me without cause(DW)
    and without cause dug a pit(DX) for me,
may ruin overtake them by surprise—(DY)
    may the net they hid entangle them,
    may they fall into the pit,(DZ) to their ruin.
Then my soul will rejoice(EA) in the Lord
    and delight in his salvation.(EB)
10 My whole being will exclaim,
    “Who is like you,(EC) Lord?
You rescue the poor from those too strong(ED) for them,
    the poor and needy(EE) from those who rob them.”

11 Ruthless witnesses(EF) come forward;
    they question me on things I know nothing about.
12 They repay me evil for good(EG)
    and leave me like one bereaved.
13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth(EH)
    and humbled myself with fasting.(EI)
When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
14     I went about mourning(EJ)
    as though for my friend or brother.
I bowed my head in grief
    as though weeping for my mother.
15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;(EK)
    assailants gathered against me without my knowledge.
    They slandered(EL) me without ceasing.
16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;[g](EM)
    they gnashed their teeth(EN) at me.

17 How long,(EO) Lord, will you look on?
    Rescue me from their ravages,
    my precious life(EP) from these lions.(EQ)
18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly;(ER)
    among the throngs(ES) I will praise you.(ET)
19 Do not let those gloat over me
    who are my enemies(EU) without cause;
do not let those who hate me without reason(EV)
    maliciously wink the eye.(EW)
20 They do not speak peaceably,
    but devise false accusations(EX)
    against those who live quietly in the land.
21 They sneer(EY) at me and say, “Aha! Aha!(EZ)
    With our own eyes we have seen it.”

22 Lord, you have seen(FA) this; do not be silent.
    Do not be far(FB) from me, Lord.
23 Awake,(FC) and rise(FD) to my defense!
    Contend(FE) for me, my God and Lord.
24 Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God;
    do not let them gloat(FF) over me.
25 Do not let them think, “Aha,(FG) just what we wanted!”
    or say, “We have swallowed him up.”(FH)

26 May all who gloat(FI) over my distress(FJ)
    be put to shame(FK) and confusion;
may all who exalt themselves over me(FL)
    be clothed with shame and disgrace.
27 May those who delight in my vindication(FM)
    shout for joy(FN) and gladness;
may they always say, “The Lord be exalted,
    who delights(FO) in the well-being of his servant.”(FP)

28 My tongue will proclaim your righteousness,(FQ)
    your praises all day long.(FR)

Psalm 36[h]

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord.

I have a message from God in my heart
    concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:[i](FS)
There is no fear(FT) of God
    before their eyes.(FU)

In their own eyes they flatter themselves
    too much to detect or hate their sin.(FV)
The words of their mouths(FW) are wicked and deceitful;(FX)
    they fail to act wisely(FY) or do good.(FZ)
Even on their beds they plot evil;(GA)
    they commit themselves to a sinful course(GB)
    and do not reject what is wrong.(GC)

Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
    your faithfulness(GD) to the skies.(GE)
Your righteousness(GF) is like the highest mountains,(GG)
    your justice like the great deep.(GH)
    You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.(GI)
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!(GJ)
    People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.(GK)
They feast on the abundance of your house;(GL)
    you give them drink from your river(GM) of delights.(GN)
For with you is the fountain of life;(GO)
    in your light(GP) we see light.

10 Continue your love(GQ) to those who know you,(GR)
    your righteousness to the upright in heart.(GS)
11 May the foot of the proud not come against me,
    nor the hand of the wicked(GT) drive me away.
12 See how the evildoers lie fallen—
    thrown down, not able to rise!(GU)

Psalm 37[j]

Of David.

Do not fret because of those who are evil
    or be envious(GV) of those who do wrong;(GW)
for like the grass they will soon wither,(GX)
    like green plants they will soon die away.(GY)

Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land(GZ) and enjoy safe pasture.(HA)
Take delight(HB) in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.(HC)

Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him(HD) and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward(HE) shine like the dawn,(HF)
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

Be still(HG) before the Lord
    and wait patiently(HH) for him;
do not fret(HI) when people succeed in their ways,(HJ)
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.(HK)

Refrain from anger(HL) and turn from wrath;
    do not fret(HM)—it leads only to evil.
For those who are evil will be destroyed,(HN)
    but those who hope(HO) in the Lord will inherit the land.(HP)

10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;(HQ)
    though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land(HR)
    and enjoy peace and prosperity.(HS)

12 The wicked plot(HT) against the righteous
    and gnash their teeth(HU) at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he knows their day is coming.(HV)

14 The wicked draw the sword(HW)
    and bend the bow(HX)
to bring down the poor and needy,(HY)
    to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,(HZ)
    and their bows will be broken.(IA)

16 Better the little that the righteous have
    than the wealth(IB) of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,(IC)
    but the Lord upholds(ID) the righteous.

18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,(IE)
    and their inheritance will endure forever.(IF)
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
    in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20 But the wicked will perish:(IG)
    Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
    they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.(IH)

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
    but the righteous give generously;(II)
22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
    but those he curses(IJ) will be destroyed.(IK)

23 The Lord makes firm the steps(IL)
    of the one who delights(IM) in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,(IN)
    for the Lord upholds(IO) him with his hand.

25 I was young and now I am old,
    yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken(IP)
    or their children begging(IQ) bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;(IR)
    their children will be a blessing.[k](IS)

27 Turn from evil and do good;(IT)
    then you will dwell in the land forever.(IU)
28 For the Lord loves the just
    and will not forsake his faithful ones.(IV)

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed[l];
    the offspring of the wicked will perish.(IW)
29 The righteous will inherit the land(IX)
    and dwell in it forever.(IY)

30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,(IZ)
    and their tongues speak what is just.
31 The law of their God is in their hearts;(JA)
    their feet do not slip.(JB)

32 The wicked lie in wait(JC) for the righteous,(JD)
    intent on putting them to death;
33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
    or let them be condemned(JE) when brought to trial.(JF)

34 Hope in the Lord(JG)
    and keep his way.(JH)
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
    when the wicked are destroyed,(JI) you will see(JJ) it.

35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
    flourishing(JK) like a luxuriant native tree,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
    though I looked for him, he could not be found.(JL)

37 Consider the blameless,(JM) observe the upright;(JN)
    a future awaits those who seek peace.[m](JO)
38 But all sinners(JP) will be destroyed;(JQ)
    there will be no future[n] for the wicked.(JR)

39 The salvation(JS) of the righteous comes from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in time of trouble.(JT)
40 The Lord helps(JU) them and delivers(JV) them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves(JW) them,
    because they take refuge(JX) in him.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 32:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  2. Psalm 32:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 7.
  3. Psalm 33:7 Or sea as into a heap
  4. Psalm 34:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  5. Psalm 34:1 In Hebrew texts 34:1-22 is numbered 34:2-23.
  6. Psalm 35:3 Or and block the way
  7. Psalm 35:16 Septuagint; Hebrew may mean Like an ungodly circle of mockers,
  8. Psalm 36:1 In Hebrew texts 36:1-12 is numbered 36:2-13.
  9. Psalm 36:1 Or A message from God: The transgression of the wicked / resides in their hearts.
  10. Psalm 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the stanzas of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  11. Psalm 37:26 Or freely; / the names of their children will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or freely; / others will see that their children are blessed
  12. Psalm 37:28 See Septuagint; Hebrew They will be protected forever
  13. Psalm 37:37 Or upright; / those who seek peace will have posterity
  14. Psalm 37:38 Or posterity