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

A Psalm of David.

37 (A)Do not fret because of evildoers,
Be not (B)envious toward wrongdoers.
For they will (C)wither quickly like the grass
And (D)fade like the green herb.
(E)Trust in the Lord and do good;
(F)Dwell 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 forth (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 fret because of him who (O)prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
Cease from anger and (P)forsake wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
For (Q)evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will (R)inherit the land.
10 Yet (S)a little while and the wicked man 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.

12 The wicked (W)plots against the righteous
And (X)gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 The Lord (Y)laughs at him,
For He sees (Z)his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn the sword and (AA)bent their bow
To cast down the (AB)afflicted and the needy,
To (AC)slay those who are upright in conduct.
15 Their sword will enter their own heart,
And their (AD)bows will be broken.

16 (AE)Better is the little of the righteous
Than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the (AF)arms of the wicked will be broken,
But the Lord (AG)sustains the righteous.
18 The Lord (AH)knows the days of the [d]blameless,
And their (AI)inheritance will be forever.
19 They will not be ashamed in the time of evil,
And (AJ)in the days of famine they will have abundance.
20 But the (AK)wicked will perish;
And the enemies of the Lord will be like the [e]glory of the pastures,
They vanish—(AL)like smoke they vanish away.
21 The wicked borrows and does not pay back,
But the righteous (AM)is gracious and gives.
22 For (AN)those blessed by Him will (AO)inherit the land,
But those (AP)cursed by Him will be cut off.

23 (AQ)The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
And He (AR)delights in his way.
24 When (AS)he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,
Because (AT)the Lord is the One [f]who holds his hand.
25 I have been young and now I am old,
Yet (AU)I have not seen the righteous forsaken
Or (AV)his [g]descendants begging bread.
26 All day long (AW)he is gracious and lends,
And (AX)his [h]descendants are a blessing.

27 (AY)Depart from evil and do good,
[i]So you will abide (AZ)forever.
28 For the Lord (BA)loves [j]justice
And (BB)does not forsake His godly ones;
They are (BC)preserved forever,
But the [k](BD)descendants of the wicked will be cut off.
29 The righteous will (BE)inherit the land
And (BF)dwell in it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous (BG)utters wisdom,
And his tongue (BH)speaks justice.
31 The (BI)law of his God is in his heart;
His (BJ)steps do not slip.
32 The (BK)wicked spies upon the righteous
And (BL)seeks to kill him.
33 The Lord will (BM)not leave him in his hand
Or (BN)let him be condemned when he is judged.
34 (BO)Wait for the Lord and keep His way,
And He will exalt you to inherit the land;
When the (BP)wicked are cut off, you will see it.

35 I have (BQ)seen a wicked, violent man
Spreading himself like a (BR)luxuriant [l]tree in its native soil.
36 Then [m]he passed away, and lo, he (BS)was no more;
I sought for him, but he could not be found.
37 Mark the [n](BT)blameless man, and behold the (BU)upright;
For the man of peace will have a [o](BV)posterity.
38 But transgressors will be altogether (BW)destroyed;
The [p]posterity of the wicked will be (BX)cut off.
39 But the (BY)salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
He is their strength (BZ)in time of trouble.
40 (CA)The Lord helps them and delivers them;
He (CB)delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
Because they (CC)take refuge in Him.

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
  4. Psalm 37:18 Lit complete; or perfect
  5. Psalm 37:20 I.e. flowers
  6. Psalm 37:24 Or who sustains him with His hand
  7. Psalm 37:25 Lit seed
  8. Psalm 37:26 Lit seed
  9. Psalm 37:27 Or And dwell forever
  10. Psalm 37:28 Lit judgment
  11. Psalm 37:28 Lit seed
  12. Psalm 37:35 Lit native; Heb obscure
  13. Psalm 37:36 Ancient versions read I passed by
  14. Psalm 37:37 Lit complete; or perfect
  15. Psalm 37:37 Lit an end
  16. Psalm 37:38 Lit end

Delight Yourself in Yahweh

Of David.

Aleph

37 (A)Do not fret because of evildoers,
Be not (B)envious toward doers of unrighteousness.
For they will (C)wither quickly like the grass
And (D)fade like the green herb.

Beth

(E)Trust in Yahweh and do good;
(F)Dwell in the land and [a](G)cultivate faithfulness.
(H)Delight yourself in Yahweh;
And He will (I)give you the desires of your heart.

Gimel

(J)Commit your way to Yahweh,
Trust in Him, and He will do it.
He will bring forth (K)your righteousness as the light
And your judgment (L)as the noonday.

Daleth

Be still in Yahweh and (M)wait [b]patiently for Him;
(N)Do not fret because of him who (O)prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out schemes of wickedness.

He

Cease from anger and (P)forsake wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
For (Q)evildoers will be cut off,
But those who hope for Yahweh, they will (R)inherit the land.

Vav

10 Yet (S)a little while and the wicked man will be no more;
You will look carefully at (T)his place, and he will not be there.
11 But (U)the lowly will inherit the land
And will delight themselves in (V)abundant peace.

Zayin

12 The wicked (W)schemes against the righteous
And (X)gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 The Lord (Y)laughs at him,
For He sees that (Z)his day is coming.

Heth

14 The wicked have drawn the sword and (AA)bent their bow
To cast down the (AB)afflicted and the needy,
To (AC)slay those who are upright in conduct.
15 Their sword will enter their own heart,
And their (AD)bows will be broken.

Teth

16 (AE)Better is the little of the righteous
Than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the (AF)arms of the wicked will be broken,
But Yahweh (AG)sustains the righteous.

Yodh

18 Yahweh (AH)knows the days of the [c]blameless,
And their (AI)inheritance will be forever.
19 They will not be ashamed in the time of evil,
And (AJ)in the days of famine they will be satisfied.

Kaph

20 But the (AK)wicked will perish;
And the enemies of Yahweh will be like the [d]glory of the pastures,
They vanish—(AL)in smoke they vanish away.

Lamedh

21 The wicked borrows and does not pay back,
But the righteous (AM)is gracious and gives.
22 For (AN)those blessed by Him will (AO)inherit the land,
But those (AP)cursed by Him will be cut off.

Mem

23 (AQ)The footsteps of a man are established by Yahweh,
And He (AR)delights in his way.
24 When (AS)he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,
Because (AT)Yahweh is the One [e]who sustains his hand.

Nun

25 I was young and now I am old,
Yet (AU)I have not seen the righteous forsaken
Or (AV)his seed begging bread.
26 All day long (AW)he is gracious and lends,
And (AX)his seed is a blessing.

Samekh

27 (AY)Depart from evil and do good,
So you will dwell (AZ)forever.

Ayin

28 For Yahweh (BA)loves [f]justice
And (BB)will not forsake His holy ones;
They are (BC)kept forever,
But the (BD)seed of the wicked will be cut off.
29 The righteous will (BE)inherit the land
And (BF)dwell in it forever.

Pe

30 The mouth of the righteous (BG)utters wisdom,
And his tongue (BH)speaks justice.
31 The (BI)law of his God is in his heart;
His (BJ)steps do not slip.

Tsadhe

32 The (BK)wicked spies upon the righteous
And (BL)seeks to put him to death.
33 Yahweh will (BM)not forsake him in his hand;
(BN)He will not condemn him when he is judged.

Qoph

34 (BO)Hope for Yahweh and keep His way,
And He will exalt you to inherit the land;
When the (BP)wicked are cut off, you will see it.

Resh

35 I have (BQ)seen a wicked, ruthless man
Spreading himself like a (BR)luxuriant [g]tree in its native soil.
36 Then [h]he passed away, and behold, he (BS)was no more;
I sought for him, but he could not be found.

Shin

37 Observe the [i](BT)blameless man, and behold the (BU)upright;
For the man of peace will have [j]a (BV)posterity.
38 But transgressors will be altogether (BW)destroyed;
The [k]posterity of the wicked will be (BX)cut off.

Tav

39 But the (BY)salvation of the righteous is from Yahweh;
He is their strength (BZ)in time of distress.
40 (CA)Yahweh helps them and protects them;
He (CB)protects them from the wicked and saves them,
Because they (CC)take refuge in Him.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 37:3 Or feed securely, feed on His faithfulness
  2. Psalm 37:7 Or longingly
  3. Psalm 37:18 Lit complete, perfect
  4. Psalm 37:20 Flowers
  5. Psalm 37:24 Or who sustains him with His hand
  6. Psalm 37:28 Lit judgment
  7. Psalm 37:35 Native plant; lit native
  8. Psalm 37:36 Ancient versions I passed by
  9. Psalm 37:37 Or perfect; lit complete
  10. Psalm 37:37 Lit an end
  11. Psalm 37:38 Lit end

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.

12 The wicked (W)plots against the righteous,
And (X)gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 The Lord (Y)laughs at him,
For He sees that (Z)his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn the sword and (AA)bent their bow
To take down the (AB)afflicted and the needy,
To (AC)kill off those who are upright in conduct.
15 Their sword will enter their own heart,
And their (AD)bows will be broken.

16 (AE)Better is the little of the righteous
Than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the (AF)arms of the wicked will be broken,
But the Lord (AG)sustains the righteous.
18 The Lord (AH)knows the days of the [d]blameless,
And their (AI)inheritance will be forever.
19 They will not be ashamed in the time of evil,
And (AJ)in the days of famine they will have plenty.
20 But the (AK)wicked will perish;
And the enemies of the Lord will be like the [e]glory of the pastures,
They vanish—(AL)like smoke they vanish away.
21 The wicked borrows and does not pay back,
But the righteous (AM)is gracious and gives.
22 For (AN)those blessed by Him will (AO)inherit the land,
But those (AP)cursed by Him will be eliminated.

23 (AQ)The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
And He (AR)delights in his way.
24 When (AS)he falls, he will not be hurled down,
Because (AT)the Lord is the One [f]who holds his hand.
25 I have been young and now I am old,
Yet (AU)I have not seen the righteous forsaken
Or (AV)his [g]descendants begging for bread.
26 All day long (AW)he is gracious and lends,
And (AX)his [h]descendants are a blessing.

27 (AY)Turn from evil and do good,
So that you will dwell (AZ)forever.
28 For the Lord (BA)loves [i]justice
And (BB)does not abandon His godly ones;
They are (BC)protected forever,
But the [j](BD)descendants of the wicked will be eliminated.
29 The righteous will (BE)inherit the land
And (BF)dwell in it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous (BG)utters wisdom,
And his tongue (BH)speaks justice.
31 The (BI)Law of his God is in his heart;
His (BJ)steps do not slip.
32 The (BK)wicked spies upon the righteous
And (BL)seeks to kill him.
33 The Lord will (BM)not leave him in his hand
Or (BN)let him be condemned when he is judged.
34 (BO)Wait for the Lord and keep His way,
And He will exalt you to inherit the land;
When the (BP)wicked are eliminated, you will see it.

35 I have (BQ)seen a wicked, violent person
Spreading himself like a (BR)luxuriant [k]tree in its native soil.
36 Then he passed away, and behold, he (BS)was no more;
I searched for him, but he could not be found.
37 Observe the [l](BT)blameless person, and look at the (BU)upright;
For the person of peace will have (BV)a future.
38 But wrongdoers will altogether be (BW)destroyed;
The future of the wicked will be (BX)eliminated.
39 But the (BY)salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
He is their strength (BZ)in time of trouble.
40 (CA)The Lord helps them and rescues them;
He (CB)rescues them from the wicked and saves them,
Because they (CC)take refuge in Him.

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
  4. Psalm 37:18 Lit complete; or perfect
  5. Psalm 37:20 I.e., flowers
  6. Psalm 37:24 Or who sustains him with His hand
  7. Psalm 37:25 Lit seed
  8. Psalm 37:26 Lit seed
  9. Psalm 37:28 Lit judgment
  10. Psalm 37:28 Lit seed
  11. Psalm 37:35 Lit native; Heb obscure
  12. Psalm 37:37 Lit complete; or perfect