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
Contemporary English Version
(By David.)
Trust the Lord
1 Don't be annoyed by anyone
who does wrong,
and don't envy them.
2 They will soon disappear
like grass without rain.
3 Trust the Lord and live right!
The land will be yours,
and you will be safe.
4 Do what the Lord wants,
and he will give you
your heart's desire.
5 Let the Lord lead you
and trust him to help.
6 Then it will be as clear
as the noonday sun
that you were right.
7 Be patient and trust the Lord.
Don't let it bother you
when all goes well for those
who do sinful things.
8 Don't be angry or furious.
Anger can lead to sin.
9 All sinners will disappear,
but if you trust the Lord,
the land will be yours.
10 Sinners will soon disappear,
never to be found,
11 (A) but the poor will take the land
and enjoy a big harvest.
12 Merciless people make plots
against good people
and snarl like animals,
13 but the Lord laughs and knows
their time is coming soon.
14 The wicked kill with swords
and shoot arrows to murder
the poor and the needy
and all who do right.
15 But they will be killed
by their own swords,
and their arrows
will be broken.
16 It is better to live right
and be poor
than to be sinful and rich.
17 The wicked will lose all
of their power,
but the Lord gives strength
to everyone who is good.
18 Those who obey the Lord
are daily in his care,
and what he has given them
will be theirs forever.
19 They won't be in trouble
when times are bad,
and they will have plenty
when food is scarce.
20 Wicked people are enemies
of the Lord
and will vanish like smoke
from a field on fire.
21 An evil person borrows
and never pays back;
a good person is generous
and never stops giving.
22 Everyone the Lord blesses
will receive the land;
everyone the Lord curses
will be destroyed.
23 If you do what the Lord wants,
he will make certain
each step you take is sure.
24 The Lord will hold your hand,
and if you stumble,
you still won't fall.
25 As long as I can remember,
good people have never
been left helpless,
and their children have never
gone begging for food.
26 They gladly give and lend,
and their children
turn out good.
27 If you stop sinning
and start doing right,
you will keep living
and be secure forever.
28 The Lord loves justice,
and he won't ever desert
his faithful people.
He always protects them,
but destroys the children
of the wicked.
29 God's people will own the land
and live here forever.
30 Words of wisdom come
when good people speak
for justice.
31 They remember God's teachings,
and they never take
a wrong step.
32 The wicked try to trap
and kill good people,
33 but the Lord is on their side,
and he will defend them
when they are on trial.
34 Trust the Lord and follow him.
He will give you the land,
and you will see
the wicked destroyed.
35 I have seen brutal people
abuse others and grow strong
like trees in rich soil.[a]
36 Suddenly they disappeared!
I looked, but they were gone
and no longer there.
37 Think of the bright future
waiting for all the families
of honest, innocent,
and peace-loving people.
38 But not a trace will be left
of the wicked
or their families.
39 The Lord protects his people,
and they can come to him
in times of trouble.
40 The Lord helps his people
and saves them from the wicked
because they run to him.
Footnotes
- 37.35 like … soil: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
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.
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