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Psalm 36-38
American Standard Version
Psalm 36-38
American Standard Version
Wickedness of men and lovingkindness of God.
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of Jehovah.
[a]36 The transgression of the wicked [b]saith within my heart,
There is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For [c]he flattereth himself in his own eyes,
[d]That his iniquity will not be found out and be hated.
3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit:
He hath ceased to be wise and to do good.
4 He deviseth iniquity upon his bed;
He setteth himself in a way that is not good;
He abhorreth not evil.
5 Thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, is in the heavens;
Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the skies.
6 Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God;
Thy judgments are a great deep:
O Jehovah, thou preservest man and beast.
7 How precious is thy lovingkindness, O God!
And the children of men take refuge under the shadow of thy wings.
8 They shall be [e]abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house;
And thou wilt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
9 For with thee is the fountain of life:
In thy light shall we see light.
10 Oh continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee,
And thy righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 Let not the foot of pride come against me,
And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There are the workers of iniquity fallen:
They are thrust down, and shall not be able to rise.
Security of those who trust in Jehovah, and insecurity of the wicked.
A Psalm of David.
37 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;
[f]Dwell in the land, and [g]feed on his faithfulness.
4 [h]Delight thyself also in Jehovah;
And he will give thee the [i]desires of thy heart.
5 [j]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 [k]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 [l]the land.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be:
Yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and [m]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 [n]the fat of lambs:
They shall consume; [o]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 [p]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 [q]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.
Prayer of a suffering penitent.
A Psalm of David, [r]to bring to remembrance.
38 O Jehovah, rebuke me not in thy wrath;
Neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
2 For thine arrows [s]stick fast in me,
And thy hand [t]presseth me sore.
3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine indignation;
Neither is there any [u]health in my bones because of my sin.
4 For mine iniquities are gone over my head:
As a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
5 My wounds are loathsome and corrupt,
Because of my foolishness.
6 I am [v]pained and bowed down greatly;
I go mourning all the day long.
7 For my loins are filled with burning;
And there is no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am faint and sore bruised:
I have [w]groaned by reason of the disquietness of my heart.
9 Lord, all my desire is before thee;
And my groaning is not hid from thee.
10 My heart throbbeth, my strength faileth me:
As for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.
11 My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my plague;
And my kinsmen stand afar off.
12 They also that seek after my life lay snares for me;
And they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things,
And meditate deceits all the day long.
13 But I, as a deaf man, hear not;
And I am as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.
14 Yea, I am as a man that heareth not,
And in whose mouth are no [x]reproofs.
15 For in thee, O Jehovah, do I hope:
Thou wilt answer, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, Lest they rejoice over me:
When my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.
17 For I am ready to fall,
And my sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I will declare mine iniquity;
I will be sorry for my sin.
19 But mine enemies are lively, and are strong;
And they that hate me [y]wrongfully are multiplied.
20 They also that render evil for good
Are adversaries unto me, because I follow the thing that is good.
21 Forsake me not, O Jehovah:
O my God, be not far from me.
22 Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation.
Footnotes
- Psalm 36:1 Or, Transgression saith to the wicked
- Psalm 36:1 Or, uttereth its oracle
- Psalm 36:2 Or, it (or he) flattereth him in his eyes
- Psalm 36:2 Or, Until his iniquity be found and be hated. Hebrew Concerning the finding out of his iniquity and hating it.
- Psalm 36:8 Hebrew watered.
- Psalm 37:3 Or, So shalt thou dwell in the land and feed securely
- Psalm 37:3 Or, verily thou shalt be fed
- Psalm 37:4 Or, So shalt thou have thy delight in etc.
- Psalm 37:4 Hebrew petitions.
- Psalm 37:5 Hebrew Roll thy way upon Jehovah.
- Psalm 37:7 Or, Be still before (Hebrew silent to) Jehovah
- Psalm 37:9 Or, the earth (and so in verses 11, 22, 29, 34)
- Psalm 37:10 Or, it
- Psalm 37:20 Or, the excellency of the pastures
- Psalm 37:20 Or, like smoke
- Psalm 37:24 Or, upholdeth his hand
- Psalm 37:36 Or, Yet he passed away
- Psalm 38:1 Or, to make memorial
- Psalm 38:2 Hebrew lighted on me.
- Psalm 38:2 Hebrew lighted on me.
- Psalm 38:3 Or, rest
- Psalm 38:6 Hebrew bent.
- Psalm 38:8 Hebrew roared.
- Psalm 38:14 Or, arguments
- Psalm 38:19 Hebrew falsely.
Psalm 36-38
New International Version
Psalm 36-38
New International Version
Psalm 36[a]
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord.
1 I have a message from God in my heart
concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:[b](A)
There is no fear(B) of God
before their eyes.(C)
2 In their own eyes they flatter themselves
too much to detect or hate their sin.(D)
3 The words of their mouths(E) are wicked and deceitful;(F)
they fail to act wisely(G) or do good.(H)
4 Even on their beds they plot evil;(I)
they commit themselves to a sinful course(J)
and do not reject what is wrong.(K)
5 Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness(L) to the skies.(M)
6 Your righteousness(N) is like the highest mountains,(O)
your justice like the great deep.(P)
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.(Q)
7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!(R)
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.(S)
8 They feast on the abundance of your house;(T)
you give them drink from your river(U) of delights.(V)
9 For with you is the fountain of life;(W)
in your light(X) we see light.
10 Continue your love(Y) to those who know you,(Z)
your righteousness to the upright in heart.(AA)
11 May the foot of the proud not come against me,
nor the hand of the wicked(AB) drive me away.
12 See how the evildoers lie fallen—
thrown down, not able to rise!(AC)
Psalm 37[c]
Of David.
1 Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious(AD) of those who do wrong;(AE)
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,(AF)
like green plants they will soon die away.(AG)
3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land(AH) and enjoy safe pasture.(AI)
4 Take delight(AJ) in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.(AK)
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him(AL) and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward(AM) shine like the dawn,(AN)
your vindication like the noonday sun.
7 Be still(AO) before the Lord
and wait patiently(AP) for him;
do not fret(AQ) when people succeed in their ways,(AR)
when they carry out their wicked schemes.(AS)
8 Refrain from anger(AT) and turn from wrath;
do not fret(AU)—it leads only to evil.
9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,(AV)
but those who hope(AW) in the Lord will inherit the land.(AX)
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;(AY)
though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land(AZ)
and enjoy peace and prosperity.(BA)
12 The wicked plot(BB) against the righteous
and gnash their teeth(BC) at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.(BD)
14 The wicked draw the sword(BE)
and bend the bow(BF)
to bring down the poor and needy,(BG)
to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,(BH)
and their bows will be broken.(BI)
16 Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth(BJ) of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,(BK)
but the Lord upholds(BL) the righteous.
18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,(BM)
and their inheritance will endure forever.(BN)
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
20 But the wicked will perish:(BO)
Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.(BP)
21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;(BQ)
22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses(BR) will be destroyed.(BS)
23 The Lord makes firm the steps(BT)
of the one who delights(BU) in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,(BV)
for the Lord upholds(BW) him with his hand.
25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken(BX)
or their children begging(BY) bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;(BZ)
their children will be a blessing.[d](CA)
27 Turn from evil and do good;(CB)
then you will dwell in the land forever.(CC)
28 For the Lord loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.(CD)
Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed[e];
the offspring of the wicked will perish.(CE)
29 The righteous will inherit the land(CF)
and dwell in it forever.(CG)
30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,(CH)
and their tongues speak what is just.
31 The law of their God is in their hearts;(CI)
their feet do not slip.(CJ)
32 The wicked lie in wait(CK) for the righteous,(CL)
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(CM) when brought to trial.(CN)
34 Hope in the Lord(CO)
and keep his way.(CP)
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed,(CQ) you will see(CR) it.
35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing(CS) 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.(CT)
37 Consider the blameless,(CU) observe the upright;(CV)
a future awaits those who seek peace.[f](CW)
38 But all sinners(CX) will be destroyed;(CY)
there will be no future[g] for the wicked.(CZ)
39 The salvation(DA) of the righteous comes from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.(DB)
40 The Lord helps(DC) them and delivers(DD) them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves(DE) them,
because they take refuge(DF) in him.
Psalm 38[h]
A psalm of David. A petition.
1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.(DG)
2 Your arrows(DH) have pierced me,
and your hand has come down on me.
3 Because of your wrath there is no health(DI) in my body;
there is no soundness in my bones(DJ) because of my sin.
4 My guilt has overwhelmed(DK) me
like a burden too heavy to bear.(DL)
5 My wounds(DM) fester and are loathsome(DN)
because of my sinful folly.(DO)
6 I am bowed down(DP) and brought very low;
all day long I go about mourning.(DQ)
7 My back is filled with searing pain;(DR)
there is no health(DS) in my body.
8 I am feeble and utterly crushed;(DT)
I groan(DU) in anguish of heart.(DV)
9 All my longings(DW) lie open before you, Lord;
my sighing(DX) is not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds,(DY) my strength fails(DZ) me;
even the light has gone from my eyes.(EA)
11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;(EB)
my neighbors stay far away.
12 Those who want to kill me set their traps,(EC)
those who would harm me talk of my ruin;(ED)
all day long they scheme and lie.(EE)
13 I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,(EF)
like the mute, who cannot speak;
14 I have become like one who does not hear,
whose mouth can offer no reply.
15 Lord, I wait(EG) for you;
you will answer,(EH) Lord my God.
16 For I said, “Do not let them gloat(EI)
or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”(EJ)
17 For I am about to fall,(EK)
and my pain(EL) is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity;(EM)
I am troubled by my sin.
19 Many have become my enemies(EN) without cause[i];
those who hate me(EO) without reason(EP) are numerous.
20 Those who repay my good with evil(EQ)
lodge accusations(ER) against me,
though I seek only to do what is good.
Footnotes
- Psalm 36:1 In Hebrew texts 36:1-12 is numbered 36:2-13.
- Psalm 36:1 Or A message from God: The transgression of the wicked / resides in their hearts.
- Psalm 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the stanzas of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
- 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
- Psalm 37:28 See Septuagint; Hebrew They will be protected forever
- Psalm 37:37 Or upright; / those who seek peace will have posterity
- Psalm 37:38 Or posterity
- Psalm 38:1 In Hebrew texts 38:1-22 is numbered 38:2-23.
- Psalm 38:19 One Dead Sea Scrolls manuscript; Masoretic Text my vigorous enemies
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