Psalms, 37

1. <[A Psalm] of David.> Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

1. Do not be annoyed with evil people nor be envious of wrongdoers.

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

2. For they will fade as any green herb and soon be gone like withered grass.

3. Trust in the LORD, and do good; [so] shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

3. Trust in the Lord and do good, dwell in the land and live on it.

4. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

4. Make the Lord your delight, and he will grant your heart's desire.

5. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring [it] to pass.

5. Commit your way to the Lord; put your trust in him and let him act.

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

6. Then will your revenge come, beautiful as the dawn, and the justification of your cause, bright as the noonday sun.

7. 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.

7. Keep calm before the Lord, wait for him in patience; do not fret if others succeed when they carry out evil schemes.

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

8. Refrain from anger, turn away from wrath; fret not, for it only leads to evil.

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

9. Remember this: the wicked will perish, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

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

10. Wait a moment: the wicked are no more. Though you look for them, they cannot be found;

11. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

11. but the humble will inherit the land and enjoy peace in abundance.

12. The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

12. The wicked plot against the virtuous and gnash their teeth at them;

13. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

13. but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees their day 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.

14. The wicked draw their swords and bend their bows; they aim at the poor and the afflicted, they get ready to slay the righteous.

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

15. But their bows will be shattered; the sword thrust into their own heart.

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

16. The little that the righteous possess is better than the abundance of the wicked.

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

17. For the arms of the wicked will be broken, and the righteous will be upheld by the Lord.

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

18. The Lord watches over the lives of the upright; forever will their inheritance abide.

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

19. They are not crushed in times of calamity; when famine strikes, they still are 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.

20. But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the Lord will vanish like smoke, disappear like the wild flowers.

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

21. The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous have mercy and share.

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

22. They will inherit the land - those whom the Lord blesses; but those whom the Lord curses he will cut off.

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

23. The Lord is the one who makes people stand, he gives firmness to those he likes.

24. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth [him with] his hand.

24. They may stumble, but they will not fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.

25. I have been young, and [now] am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

25. From my youth to old age, I have yet to see the righteous forsaken or their children begging for alms.

26. [He is] ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed [is] blessed.

26. He lends and gives, and his children are blessed. The whole day he succeeds.

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

27. Do good and shun evil, so that you will live secure forever.

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.

28. For the Lord loves justice and right, and never forsakes his faithful ones. The wicked instead will perish and their breed will be cut off.

29. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.

29. The righteous will possess the land; they will make it their home forever.

30. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.

30. The mouth of the virtuous utters wisdom and his tongue speaks of what is right.

31. The law of his God [is] in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.

31. His steps have never faltered, for the law of God is in his heart.

32. The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.

32. The wicked spies on the just man and lies in wait to slay him.

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

33. But the Lord does not hand him over, or let him be condemned when he is tried.

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].

34. Hope in the Lord and follow his way, for he will exalt you and give you the land. You will see how the wicked perish.

35. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.

35. I have seen an oppressor mighty, towering like a cedar of Lebanon.

36. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he [was] not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

36. But when I passed by again, he was no longer there. I looked for him but could not find him.

37. Mark the perfect [man], and behold the upright: for the end of [that] man [is] peace.

37. Mark the blameless, watch the upright, and you will see that there is a future for the person of peace.

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

38. But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be shattered.

39. But the salvation of the righteous [is] of the LORD: [he is] their strength in the time of trouble.

39. The Lord is the salvation of the righteous; in time of distress, he is their refuge.

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.

40. The Lord helps them, and rescues them from the oppressor; he saves them for they sought shelter in him.