Psalm 37
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 37
Exhortation to Patience and Trust
Of David.
1 Do not fret because of the wicked;
do not be envious of wrongdoers,(A)
2 for they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.(B)
3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
live in the land and enjoy security.(C)
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.(D)
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.(E)
6 He will make your vindication shine like the light
and the justice of your cause like the noonday.(F)
7 Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;
do not fret over those who prosper in their way,
over those who carry out evil devices.(G)
8 Refrain from anger and forsake wrath.
Do not fret—it leads only to evil.(H)
9 For the wicked shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.(I)
10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there.(J)
11 But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.(K)
12 The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them,(L)
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that their day is coming.(M)
14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
to bring down the poor and needy,
to kill those who walk uprightly;(N)
15 their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their bows shall be broken.(O)
16 Better is a little that the righteous person has
than the abundance of many wicked.(P)
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.(Q)
18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
and their heritage will abide forever;(R)
19 they are not put to shame in evil times;
in the days of famine they have abundance.(S)
20 But the wicked perish,
and the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.(T)
21 The wicked borrow and do not pay back,
but the righteous are generous and keep giving;(U)
22 surely those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.(V)
23 Our steps[a] are made firm by the Lord
when he delights in our[b] way;(W)
24 though we stumble, we[c] shall not fall headlong,
for the Lord holds us[d] by the hand.(X)
25 I have been young and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.(Y)
26 They are ever giving liberally and lending,
and their children become a blessing.(Z)
27 Depart from evil, and do good;
so you shall abide forever.(AA)
28 For the Lord loves justice;
he will not forsake his faithful ones.
The righteous shall be kept safe forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.(AB)
29 The righteous shall inherit the land
and live in it forever.(AC)
30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
and their tongues speak justice.(AD)
31 The law of their God is in their hearts;
their steps do not slip.(AE)
32 The wicked watch for the righteous
and seek to kill them.(AF)
33 The Lord will not abandon them to their power
or let them be condemned when they are brought to trial.(AG)
34 Wait for the Lord and keep to his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on the destruction of the wicked.(AH)
35 I have seen the wicked oppressing
and towering like a cedar of Lebanon.[e](AI)
36 Again I[f] passed by, and they were no more;
though I sought them, they could not be found.(AJ)
37 Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is posterity for the peaceable.(AK)
38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the posterity of the wicked shall be cut off.(AL)
Psalm 37
Evangelical Heritage Version
Psalm 37
Do Not Fret Because of Evildoers
Heading
By David.
Do Not Be Frustrated by the Wicked
1 Do not fret because of evildoers.
Do not be envious of those who do wrong,
2 for like grass they will wither quickly.
Like green plants they will wilt.
Trust in God’s Goodness
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good.
Dwell in the land and feed on faithfulness.[a]
4 Take pleasure in the Lord,
and he will grant your heart’s desires.
5 Commit your way to the Lord.
Trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will make your righteousness shine like light,
your justice like noon.
7 Be silent before the Lord. Wait patiently for him.
Do not fret when an evil man succeeds in his ways,
when he carries out his wicked schemes.
Consider the Final Destiny of the Wicked
8 Let go of anger and abandon rage.
Do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For evildoers will be cut off,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the earth.
10 After a little while the wicked will be no more.
When you search for them at their place, they are not there.
11 But the meek[b] will inherit the earth.
They will enjoy plenty of peace.
12 The wicked person plots against the righteous.
He gnashes his teeth at him,
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
because he sees that his day is coming.
14 The wicked draw their sword,
and they bend their bow
to make the poor and needy fall,
to slaughter those whose ways are upright.
15 Their swords will pierce their hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
Be Satisfied With God’s Blessings
16 Better the little that one righteous person has
than the wealth of many wicked people,
17 because the arms of the wicked will be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless.
Their inheritance will last forever.
19 They will not be ashamed in time of disaster.
In days of famine they will be full.
20 Surely the wicked will perish.
The enemies of the Lord will be
like beautiful flowers in the pastures.
But they will vanish. Like smoke they will vanish.
Continue to Live a Godly Life
21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous are gracious and give.
22 So those God blesses will inherit the earth,
but those he curses will be cut off.
23 By the Lord the steps of a person are made secure.
Then he will delight in his way.
24 Though he falls, he will not stay down,
because the Lord holds him by his hand.
25 I was a young man. Now I am old.
But I have never seen a righteous person forsaken
or his children begging for bread.
26 Every day he is gracious and lends.
His children will be blessed.
27 Turn back from evil and do good.
Then you will remain forever.
28 For the Lord loves justice.
He will not forsake his favored ones.[c]
They will be protected forever,
but the descendants of the wicked will be cut off.
29 The righteous will inherit the earth.
They will dwell on it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom.
His tongue speaks what is just.
31 The law of his God is in his heart.
His steps do not slip.
Review of the Theme
32 The wicked spy on the righteous one and seek to kill him.
33 The Lord will not leave him in their hand.
He will not let him be condemned when he is put on trial.
34 Wait for the Lord and keep to his way.
He will raise you up to take possession of the earth.
When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
35 I saw a wicked, ruthless man.
He was rooted like a green plant in its native soil,
36 but he passed away. Just like that, he was gone!
I searched for him, but he could not be found.
37 Take note of the blameless. Look at the upright.
Yes, there is a future for the man of peace.
38 But rebels will be completely destroyed.
The future of the wicked will be cut off.
39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord.
He is their stronghold in times of stress.
40 The Lord helps them and delivers them.
He delivers them from the wicked.
He saves them, because they have taken refuge in him.
Footnotes
- Psalm 37:3 Literally shepherd faithfulness or shepherd faithfully
- Psalm 37:11 That is, those who quietly trust in God
- Psalm 37:28 Or faithful ones
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.