Psalm 37:12-38:19

English Standard Version

¹²The wicked ^(A)plots against the righteous
and ^(B)gnashes his teeth at him,
¹³but the Lord ^(C)laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that his ^(D)day is coming.

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

¹⁶^(H)Better is the little that the righteous has
than the abundance of many wicked.
¹⁷For ^(I)the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the Lord ^(J)upholds the righteous.

¹⁸The Lord ^(K)knows the days of the blameless,
and their ^(L)heritage will remain forever;
¹⁹they are not put to shame in evil times;
in ^(M)the days of famine they have abundance.

²⁰But the wicked will perish;
the enemies of the Lord are like ^(N)the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like ^(O)smoke they vanish away.

²¹The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
but the righteous ^(P)is generous and gives;
²²for those blessed by the Lord^[a] shall ^(Q)inherit the land,
but those cursed by him ^(R)shall be cut off.

²³The ^(S)steps of a man are ^(T)established by the Lord,
when he delights in his way;
²⁴^(U)though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the Lord ^(V)upholds his hand.

²⁵I have been young, and now am old,
    yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
    or his children ^(W)begging for bread.
²⁶He is ever ^(X)lending generously,
    and his children become a blessing.

²⁷^(Y)Turn away from evil and do good;
    so shall you ^(Z)dwell forever.
²⁸For the Lord ^(AA)loves justice;
    he will not forsake his ^(AB)saints.
They are preserved forever,
    but the children of the wicked shall be ^(AC)cut off.
²⁹The righteous shall inherit the land
    and ^(AD)dwell upon it forever.

³⁰The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks justice.
³¹^(AE)The law of his God is in his heart;
his ^(AF)steps do not slip.

³²The wicked ^(AG)watches for the righteous
and seeks to put him to death.
³³The Lord will not ^(AH)abandon him to his power
or let him ^(AI)be condemned when he is brought to trial.

³⁴^(AJ)Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on ^(AK)when the wicked are cut off.

³⁵^(AL)I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
spreading himself like ^(AM)a green laurel tree.^[b]
³⁶But he passed away,^[c] and behold, ^(AN)he was no more;
though I sought him, he could not be found.

³⁷Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is a future for the man of ^(AO)peace.
³⁸But ^(AP)transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the future of the wicked ^(AQ)shall be cut off.

³⁹^(AR)The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in ^(AS)the time of trouble.
⁴⁰The Lord helps them and ^(AT)delivers them;
    ^(AU)he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they ^(AV)take refuge in him.

Do Not Forsake Me, O Lord

A Psalm of David, ^(AW)for the memorial offering.

38 O Lord, ^(AX)rebuke me not in your anger,
nor discipline me in your wrath!
²For your ^(AY)arrows have sunk into me,
and your hand ^(AZ)has come down on me.

³There is ^(BA)no soundness in my flesh
    because of your indignation;
there is no health in my ^(BB)bones
    because of my sin.
⁴For my ^(BC)iniquities have gone over my head;
    like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.

⁵My wounds stink and fester
    because of my foolishness,
⁶I am ^(BD)utterly bowed down and ^(BE)prostrate;
    all the day I ^(BF)go about mourning.
⁷For my sides are filled with burning,
    and there is ^(BG)no soundness in my flesh.
⁸I am feeble and crushed;
    I ^(BH)groan because of the tumult of my heart.

⁹O Lord, all my longing is before you;
    my ^(BI)sighing is not hidden from you.
¹⁰My heart throbs; my strength fails me,
    and ^(BJ)the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.
¹¹My ^(BK)friends and companions ^(BL)stand aloof from my ^(BM)plague,
    and my nearest kin ^(BN)stand far off.

¹²Those who seek my life ^(BO)lay their snares;
those who seek my hurt ^(BP)speak of ruin
and meditate ^(BQ)treachery all day long.

¹³But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear,
like ^(BR)a mute man who does not open his mouth.
¹⁴I have become like a man who does not hear,
and in whose mouth are no ^(BS)rebukes.

¹⁵But for ^(BT)you, O Lord, do I wait;
it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.
¹⁶For I said, “Only ^(BU)let them not rejoice over me,
who ^(BV)boast against me when my ^(BW)foot slips!”

¹⁷For I am ^(BX)ready to fall,
    and my pain is ever before me.
¹⁸I ^(BY)confess my iniquity;
    I am ^(BZ)sorry for my sin.
¹⁹But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty,
    and many are those who hate me ^(CA)wrongfully.