Security of Those Who Trust in the Lord, and Insecurity of the Wicked.

A Psalm of David.

37 (A)Do not get upset because of evildoers,
Do not be (B)envious of wrongdoers.
For they will (C)wither quickly like the grass,
And (D)decay like the green plants.
(E)Trust in the Lord and do good;
(F)Live in the land and [a](G)cultivate faithfulness.
(H)Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will (I)give you the desires of your heart.
(J)Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
He will bring out (K)your righteousness as the light,
And your judgment (L)as the noonday.

[b]Rest in the Lord and (M)wait [c]patiently for Him;
(N)Do not get upset because of one who is (O)successful in his way,
Because of the person who carries out wicked schemes.
Cease from anger and (P)abandon wrath;
Do not get upset; it leads only to evildoing.
For (Q)evildoers will be eliminated,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will (R)inherit the land.
10 Yet (S)a little while and the wicked person will be no more;
And you will look carefully for (T)his place and he will not be there.
11 But (U)the humble will inherit the land
And will delight themselves in (V)abundant prosperity.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 37:3 Or feed securely; or feed on His faithfulness
  2. Psalm 37:7 Or Be still
  3. Psalm 37:7 Or longingly

He Will Not Forsake His Saints

[a] Of David.

37 (A)Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
    be not (B)envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon (C)fade like (D)the grass
    and wither (E)like the green herb.

(F)Trust in the Lord, and do good;
    (G)dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.[b]
(H)Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will (I)give you the desires of your heart.

(J)Commit your way to the Lord;
    (K)trust in him, and he will act.
(L)He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as (M)the noonday.

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

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

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

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each stanza beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet
  2. Psalm 37:3 Or and feed on faithfulness, or and find safe pasture

Psalm 37[a]

Of David.

37 Don’t get upset over evildoers;
    don’t be jealous of those who do wrong,
    because they will fade fast, like grass;
    they will wither like green vegetables.
Trust the Lord and do good;
    live in the land, and farm faithfulness.
Enjoy the Lord,
    and he will give what your heart asks.
Commit your way to the Lord!
    Trust him! He will act
    and will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
    your justice like high noon.
Be still before the Lord,
    and wait[b] for him.
Don’t get upset when someone gets ahead—
    someone who invents evil schemes.

Let go of anger and leave rage behind!
    Don’t get upset—it will only lead to evil.
Because evildoers will be eliminated,
    but those who hope in the Lord
    they will possess the land.
10 In just a little while the wicked won’t exist!
    If you go looking around their place,
    they won’t be there.
11 But the weak will inherit the land;
    they will enjoy a surplus of peace.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 37:1 Ps 37 is an alphabetic acrostic poem; see the note at Pss 9–10.
  2. Psalm 37:7 Correction with LXX, Vulg

Psalm 37[a]

A psalm of David.

Don’t worry about the wicked
    or envy those who do wrong.
For like grass, they soon fade away.
    Like spring flowers, they soon wither.

Trust in the Lord and do good.
    Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you your heart’s desires.

Commit everything you do to the Lord.
    Trust him, and he will help you.
He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
    and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.

Be still in the presence of the Lord,
    and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
    or fret about their wicked schemes.

Stop being angry!
    Turn from your rage!
Do not lose your temper—
    it only leads to harm.
For the wicked will be destroyed,
    but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.

10 Soon the wicked will disappear.
    Though you look for them, they will be gone.
11 The lowly will possess the land
    and will live in peace and prosperity.

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Footnotes

  1. 37 This psalm is a Hebrew acrostic poem; each stanza begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.