Psalms 37

Psalm 37

Exhortation to Patience and Trust

1Do not fret because of the wicked;[#Prov 23.17]

do not be envious of wrongdoers,

2for they will soon fade like the grass[#Ps 90.5, 6]

and wither like the green herb.

3Trust in the Lord and do good;[#Ps 62.8; Isa 40.11]

live in the land and enjoy security.

4Take delight in the Lord ,[#Isa 58.14]

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5Commit your way to the Lord ;[#Prov 16.3; 1 Pet 5.7]

trust in him, and he will act.

6He will make your vindication shine like the light[#Job 11.17; Mic 7.9]

and the justice of your cause like the noonday.

7Be still before the Lord , and wait patiently for him;[#Ps 40.1; 62.5]

do not fret over those who prosper in their way,

over those who carry out evil devices.

8Refrain from anger and forsake wrath.[#Ps 73.3; Eph 4.26]

Do not fret—it leads only to evil.

9For the wicked shall be cut off,[#Isa 60.21]

but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

10Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;[#Job 24.24]

though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there.

11But the meek shall inherit the land[#Mt 5.5]

and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

12The wicked plot against the righteous[#Ps 35.16]

and gnash their teeth at them,

13but the Lord laughs at the wicked,[#1 Sam 26.10]

for he sees that their day is coming.

14The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows[#Ps 11.2; 35.10]

to bring down the poor and needy,

to kill those who walk uprightly;

15their sword shall enter their own heart,[#Ps 9.16]

and their bows shall be broken.

16Better is a little that the righteous person has[#Prov 15.16]

than the abundance of many wicked.

17For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,[#Job 38.15; Ps 10.15]

but the Lord upholds the righteous.

18The Lord knows the days of the blameless,[#Ps 1.6]

and their heritage will abide forever;

19they are not put to shame in evil times;[#Job 5.20; Ps 33.19]

in the days of famine they have abundance.

20But the wicked perish,[#Ps 102.3]

and the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;

they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

21The wicked borrow and do not pay back,[#Ps 112.5, 9]

but the righteous are generous and keep giving;

22surely those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land,[#Job 5.3; Prov 3.33]

but those cursed by him shall be cut off.

23Our steps are made firm by the Lord[#1 Sam 2.9; Ps 147.11; #37.23 Heb A man’s steps]

when he delights in our way;

24though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong,[#Ps 147.6; Prov 24.16; #37.24 Heb he stumbles, he]

for the Lord holds us by the hand.

25I have been young and now am old,[#Job 15.23; Heb 13.5]

yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken

or their children begging bread.

26They are ever giving liberally and lending,[#Ps 147.13]

and their children become a blessing.

27Depart from evil, and do good;[#Ps 34.14]

so you shall abide forever.

28For the Lord loves justice;[#Isa 14.20]

he will not forsake his faithful ones.

The righteous shall be kept safe forever,

but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.

29The righteous shall inherit the land[#vv 9, 18]

and live in it forever.

30The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,[#Mt 12.35]

and their tongues speak justice.

31The law of their God is in their hearts;[#v 23 ; Ps 40.8; Isa 51.7]

their steps do not slip.

32The wicked watch for the righteous[#Ps 10.8]

and seek to kill them.

33The Lord will not abandon them to their power[#Ps 109.31; 2 Pet 2.9]

or let them be condemned when they are brought to trial.

34Wait for the Lord and keep to his way,[#Ps 27.14; 52.5, 6]

and he will exalt you to inherit the land;

you will look on the destruction of the wicked.

35I have seen the wicked oppressing[#Job 5.3]

and towering like a cedar of Lebanon.

36Again I passed by, and they were no more;[#Job 20.5; #37.36 Gk Syr Jerome: Heb he]

though I sought them, they could not be found.

37Mark the blameless and behold the upright,[#Isa 57.1, 2]

for there is posterity for the peaceable.

38But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;[#vv 9, 20, 28; Ps 1.4]

the posterity of the wicked shall be cut off.

39The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord ;[#Ps 3.8; 9.9]

he is their refuge in the time of trouble.

40The Lord helps them and rescues them;[#1 Chr 5.20; Isa 31.5]

he rescues them from the wicked and saves them

because they take refuge in him.

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Published by: National Council of the Churches of Christ