Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

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Take delight in the Lord,
and He will give you your heart’s desires.(A)

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[a]Delight thyself also in Jehovah;
And he will give thee the [b]desires of thy heart.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 37:4 Or, So shalt thou have thy delight in etc.
  2. Psalm 37:4 Hebrew petitions.

And delight thyself on Jehovah, And He giveth to thee the petitions of thy heart.

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Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

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37 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

Rest in the Lord, 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.

Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.

10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; 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 shall 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, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.

15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.

17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.

18 The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.

19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.

21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.

22 For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.

23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.

24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord 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 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.

27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.

28 For the Lord loveth judgment, 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 speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.

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 The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.

34 Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall 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 bay tree.

36 Yet he passed away, 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 the end of that man is peace.

38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.

39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble.

40 And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

Psalm 37

Instruction in Wisdom

Davidic.

Do[a] not be agitated by evildoers;
do not envy those who do wrong.(A)
For they wither quickly like grass
and wilt like tender green plants.(B)

Trust in the Lord and do what is good;(C)
dwell in the land and live securely.[b](D)
Take delight in the Lord,
and He will give you your heart’s desires.(E)

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in Him, and He will act,(F)
making your righteousness shine like the dawn,
your justice like the noonday.(G)

Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him;(H)
do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way,
by the man who carries out evil plans.(I)

Refrain from anger and give up your rage;
do not be agitated—it can only bring harm.(J)
For evildoers will be destroyed,
but those who put their hope in the Lord
will inherit the land.[c](K)

10 A little while, and the wicked person will be no more;
though you look for him, he will not be there.(L)
11 But the humble will inherit the land[d](M)
and will enjoy abundant prosperity.(N)

12 The wicked person schemes against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him.(O)
13 The Lord laughs at him(P)
because He sees that his day is coming.(Q)

14 The wicked have drawn the sword and strung the[e] bow
to bring down the afflicted and needy
and to slaughter those whose way is upright.(R)
15 Their swords will enter their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.(S)

16 The little that the righteous man has is better
than the abundance of many wicked people.(T)
17 For the arms[f] of the wicked will be broken,(U)
but the Lord supports the righteous.(V)

18 The Lord watches over the blameless all their days,
and their inheritance will last forever.(W)
19 They will not be disgraced in times of adversity;
they will be satisfied in days of hunger.(X)

20 But the wicked will perish;
the Lord’s enemies, like the glory of the pastures,
will fade away—
they will fade away like smoke.(Y)

21 The wicked man borrows and does not repay,
but the righteous one is gracious and giving.(Z)
22 Those who are blessed by Him will inherit the land,[g]
but those cursed by Him will be destroyed.(AA)

23 A man’s steps are established by the Lord,
and He takes pleasure in his way.(AB)
24 Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed,
because the Lord holds his hand.[h](AC)

25 I have been young and now I am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned
or his children begging for bread.(AD)
26 He is always generous, always lending,
and his children are a blessing.(AE)

27 Turn away from evil and do what is good,
and dwell there[i] forever.(AF)
28 For the Lord loves justice
and will not abandon His faithful ones.(AG)
They are kept safe forever,
but the children of the wicked will be destroyed.(AH)
29 The righteous will inherit the land[j]
and dwell in it permanently.(AI)

30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom;
his tongue speaks what is just.(AJ)
31 The instruction of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not falter.(AK)

32 The wicked one lies in wait for the righteous
and seeks to kill him;(AL)
33 the Lord will not leave him
in the power of the wicked one
or allow him to be condemned when he is judged.(AM)

34 Wait for the Lord and keep His way,
and He will exalt you to inherit the land.
You will watch when the wicked are destroyed.(AN)

35 I have seen a wicked, violent man
well-rooted[k] like a flourishing native tree.(AO)
36 Then I passed by and[l] noticed he was gone;
I searched for him, but he could not be found.(AP)

37 Watch the blameless and observe the upright,
for the man of peace will have a future.[m](AQ)
38 But transgressors will all be eliminated;
the future[n] of the wicked will be destroyed.(AR)

39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord,
their refuge in a time of distress.(AS)
40 The Lord helps and delivers them;
He will deliver them from the wicked and will save them
because they take refuge in Him.(AT)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 37:1 The lines of this poem form an acrostic.
  2. Psalm 37:3 Or and cultivate faithfulness
  3. Psalm 37:9 Or earth
  4. Psalm 37:11 Or earth
  5. Psalm 37:14 Lit their
  6. Psalm 37:17 Or power
  7. Psalm 37:22 Or earth
  8. Psalm 37:24 Or Lord supports with His hand
  9. Psalm 37:27 = dwell in the land
  10. Psalm 37:29 Or earth
  11. Psalm 37:35 Hb obscure
  12. Psalm 37:36 DSS, LXX, Syr, Vg, Jer; MT reads Then he passed away, and I
  13. Psalm 37:37 Or posterity
  14. Psalm 37:38 Or posterity

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.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.
Trust in Jehovah, and do good;
[a]Dwell in the land, and [b]feed on his faithfulness.
[c]Delight thyself also in Jehovah;
And he will give thee the [d]desires of thy heart.
[e]Commit thy way unto Jehovah;
Trust also in him, and he will bring it to pass.
And he will make thy righteousness to go forth as the light,
And thy justice as the noon-day.
[f]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.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath:
Fret not thyself, it tendeth only to evil-doing.
For evil-doers shall be cut off;
But those that wait for Jehovah, they shall inherit [g]the land.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be:
Yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and [h]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 [i]the fat of lambs:
They shall consume; [j]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 [k]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 [l]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.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 37:3 Or, So shalt thou dwell in the land and feed securely
  2. Psalm 37:3 Or, verily thou shalt be fed
  3. Psalm 37:4 Or, So shalt thou have thy delight in etc.
  4. Psalm 37:4 Hebrew petitions.
  5. Psalm 37:5 Hebrew Roll thy way upon Jehovah.
  6. Psalm 37:7 Or, Be still before (Hebrew silent to) Jehovah
  7. Psalm 37:9 Or, the earth (and so in verses 11, 22, 29, 34)
  8. Psalm 37:10 Or, it
  9. Psalm 37:20 Or, the excellency of the pastures
  10. Psalm 37:20 Or, like smoke
  11. Psalm 37:24 Or, upholdeth his hand
  12. Psalm 37:36 Or, Yet he passed away

37 By David. Do not fret because of evil doers, Be not envious against doers of iniquity,

For as grass speedily they are cut off, And as the greenness of the tender grass do fade.

Trust in Jehovah, and do good, Dwell [in] the land, and enjoy faithfulness,

And delight thyself on Jehovah, And He giveth to thee the petitions of thy heart.

Roll on Jehovah thy way, And trust upon Him, and He worketh,

And hath brought out as light thy righteousness, And thy judgment as noon-day.

Be silent for Jehovah, and stay thyself for Him, Do not fret because of him Who is making prosperous his way, Because of a man doing wicked devices.

Desist from anger, and forsake fury, Fret not thyself only to do evil.

For evil doers are cut off, As to those waiting on Jehovah, they possess the land.

10 And yet a little, and the wicked is not, And thou hast considered his place, and it is not.

11 And the humble do possess the land, And they have delighted themselves In the abundance of peace.

12 The wicked is devising against the righteous, And gnashing against him his teeth.

13 The Lord doth laugh at him, For He hath seen that his day cometh.

14 A sword have the wicked opened, And they have trodden their bow, To cause to fall the poor and needy, To slaughter the upright of the way.

15 Their sword doth enter into their own heart, And their bows are shivered.

16 Better [is] the little of the righteous, Than the store of many wicked.

17 For the arms of the wicked are shivered, And Jehovah is sustaining the righteous.

18 Jehovah knoweth the days of the perfect, And their inheritance is -- to the age.

19 They are not ashamed in a time of evil, And in days of famine they are satisfied.

20 But the wicked perish, and the enemies of Jehovah, As the preciousness of lambs, Have been consumed, In smoke they have been consumed.

21 The wicked is borrowing and repayeth not, And the righteous is gracious and giving.

22 For His blessed ones do possess the land, And His reviled ones are cut off.

23 From Jehovah [are] the steps of a man, They have been prepared, And his way he desireth.

24 When he falleth, he is not cast down, For Jehovah is sustaining his hand.

25 Young I have been, I have also become old, And I have not seen the righteous forsaken, And his seed seeking bread.

26 All the day he is gracious and lending, And his seed [is] for a blessing.

27 Turn aside from evil, and do good, and dwell to the age.

28 For Jehovah is loving judgment, And He doth not forsake His saintly ones, To the age they have been kept, And the seed of the wicked is cut off.

29 The righteous possess the land, And they dwell for ever on it.

30 The mouth of the righteous uttereth wisdom, And his tongue speaketh judgment.

31 The law of his God [is] his heart, His steps do not slide.

32 The wicked is watching for the righteous, And is seeking to put him to death.

33 Jehovah doth not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him in his being judged.

34 Look unto Jehovah, and keep His way, And He doth exalt thee to possess the land, In the wicked being cut off -- thou seest!

35 I have seen the wicked terrible, And spreading as a green native plant,

36 And he passeth away, and lo, he is not, And I seek him, and he is not found!

37 Observe the perfect, and see the upright, For the latter end of each [is] peace.

38 And transgressors were destroyed together, The latter end of the wicked was cut off.

39 And the salvation of the righteous [is] from Jehovah, Their strong place in a time of adversity.

40 And Jehovah doth help them and deliver them, He delivereth them from the wicked, And saveth them, Because they trusted in Him!

Exhortation to Patience and Trust

A Psalm of David.

37 Fret not yourself because of the wicked,
    be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass,
    and wither like the green herb.

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
    so you will dwell in the land, and enjoy security.
Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your vindication as the light,
    and your right as the noonday.

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

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
    Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
For the wicked shall be cut off;
    but those who wait for the Lord shall possess the land.

10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;
    though you look well at his place, he will not be there.
11 But the meek shall possess the land,
    and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

12 The wicked plots against the righteous,
    and gnashes his teeth at him;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he sees that his day is coming.

14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows,
    to bring down the poor and needy,
    to slay those who walk uprightly;
15 their sword shall enter their own heart,
    and their bows shall be broken.

16 Better is a little that the righteous has
    than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken;
    but the Lord upholds the righteous.

18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
    and their heritage will abide for ever;
19 they are not put to shame in evil times,
    in the days of famine they have abundance.

20 But the wicked perish;
    the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures,
    they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

21 The wicked borrows, and cannot pay back,
    but the righteous is generous and gives;
22 for those blessed by the Lord shall possess the land,
    but those cursed by him shall be cut off.

23 The steps of a man are from the Lord,
    and he establishes him in whose way he delights;
24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
    for the Lord is the stay of his hand.

25 I have been young, and now am old;
    yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
    or his children begging bread.
26 He is ever giving liberally and lending,
    and his children become a blessing.

27 Depart from evil, and do good;
    so shall you abide for ever.
28 For the Lord loves justice;
    he will not forsake his saints.

The righteous shall be preserved for ever,
    but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall possess the land,
    and dwell upon it for ever.

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

32 The wicked watches the righteous,
    and seeks to slay him.
33 The Lord will not abandon him to his power,
    or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.

34 Wait for the Lord, and keep to his way,
    and he will exalt you to possess the land;
    you will look on the destruction of the wicked.

35 I have seen a wicked man overbearing,
    and towering like a cedar of Lebanon.[a]
36 Again I[b] passed by, and lo, he was no more;
    though I sought him, he could not be found.

37 Mark the blameless man, and behold the upright,
    for there is posterity for the man of peace.
38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
    the posterity of the wicked shall be cut off.

39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
    he is their refuge in the time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and delivers them;
    he delivers them from the wicked, and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 37:35 Gk: Heb obscure
  2. Psalm 37:36 Gk Syr Jerome: Heb he