Psalm 36:2-37:15

English Standard Version

²^(A)For he flatters himself in his own eyes
    that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
³The words of his mouth are ^(B)trouble and deceit;
    ^(C)he has ceased to act wisely and do good.
⁴He ^(D)plots ^(E)trouble while on his bed;
    he sets himself in ^(F)a way that is not good;
    ^(G)he does not reject evil.

⁵Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.
⁶^(H)Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
    ^(I)your judgments are like the great deep;
    man and beast you ^(J)save, O Lord.

⁷^(K)How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
    The children of mankind take refuge ^(L)in the shadow of your wings.
⁸They feast on ^(M)the abundance of your house,
    and you give them drink from ^(N)the river of ^(O)your delights.
⁹For with you is ^(P)the fountain of life;
    ^(Q)in your light do we see light.

¹⁰Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who ^(R)know you,
    and your righteousness to ^(S)the upright of heart!
¹¹Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me,
    nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
¹²There ^(T)the evildoers lie fallen;
    they are thrust down, ^(U)unable to rise.

He Will Not Forsake His Saints

^[a] Of David.

37 ^(V)Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not ^(W)envious of wrongdoers!
²For they will soon ^(X)fade like ^(Y)the grass
and wither ^(Z)like the green herb.

³^(AA)Trust in the Lord, and do good;
^(AB)dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.^[b]
⁴^(AC)Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will ^(AD)give you the desires of your heart.

⁵^(AE)Commit your way to the Lord;
^(AF)trust in him, and he will act.
⁶^(AG)He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as ^(AH)the noonday.

⁷^(AI)Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
^(AJ)fret not yourself over the one who ^(AK)prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!

⁸^(AL)Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
^(AM)Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
⁹^(AN)For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall ^(AO)inherit the land.

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

¹²The wicked ^(AT)plots against the righteous
and ^(AU)gnashes his teeth at him,
¹³but the Lord ^(AV)laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that his ^(AW)day is coming.

¹⁴The wicked draw the sword and ^(AX)bend their bows
    to bring down the poor and needy,
    to slay those whose ^(AY)way is upright;
¹⁵their sword shall enter their own heart,
    and their ^(AZ)bows shall be broken.

Footnotes

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