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A Psalm of David.

Aleph

¶ Do not be angry with the evildoers, neither be thou envious of the workers of iniquity.

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

Beth

Wait in the LORD and do good; live in the land and uphold the truth.

In the same manner delight thyself in the LORD, and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart.

Gimel

Turn thy way unto the LORD and wait in him, and he shall bring it to pass.

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

Daleth

¶ Be silent before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not be angry with him who prospers in his way, with the man who brings wicked devices to pass.

He

Cease from anger and forsake wrath: let not thy wrath in any wise cause you to become evil.

For evildoers shall be cut off; but those that wait for the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

Vau

10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be; 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.

Zain

12 The wicked plots against the just and gnashes upon him with his teeth.

13 The Lord shall laugh at him, for he sees that his day is coming.

He

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 are of upright conversation.

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

Tet

16 A little that a righteous man has is better than the many riches of the sinners.

17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.

Jod

18 The LORD knows the days of the perfect, 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.

Caph

20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD as the fattest of rams shall be consumed; as smoke they shall fade away.

Lamed

21 ¶ The wicked borrows and does not repay: but the righteous shows mercy and gives.

22 For such as are blessed of him shall inherit the earth, and those that are cursed of him shall be cut off.

Mem

23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and he delights in his way.

24 Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

Nun

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

26 He is ever merciful and lends, and his seed is a blessing.

Samech

27 Depart from evil, and do good, and thou shalt live for evermore.

28 For the LORD loves uprightness and does not forsake his merciful ones; they are preserved for ever, but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

Ain

29 The righteous shall inherit the earth and live upon it for ever.

Pe

30 The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue brings forth judgment.

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

Tzaddi

32 The wicked watches the righteous and seeks to slay him.

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

Koph

34 ¶ Wait on the LORD and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the earth; when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

Resh

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

36 Yet he passed away, and, behold, he was not: I sought him, but he could not be found.

Schin

37 Mark the perfect, and behold the upright, for the end of each one of them is peace.

38 But the rebels were destroyed all together; the wicked were cut off in the end.

Tau

39 But the salvation of the righteous is the LORD; he is their strength in the time of trouble.

40 And the LORD helped them and delivers them; he shall deliver them from the wicked and save them because they wait in him.

Psalm 37[a]

Of David.

Do not fret because of those who are evil
    or be envious(A) of those who do wrong;(B)
for like the grass they will soon wither,(C)
    like green plants they will soon die away.(D)

Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land(E) and enjoy safe pasture.(F)
Take delight(G) in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.(H)

Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him(I) and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward(J) shine like the dawn,(K)
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

Be still(L) before the Lord
    and wait patiently(M) for him;
do not fret(N) when people succeed in their ways,(O)
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.(P)

Refrain from anger(Q) and turn from wrath;
    do not fret(R)—it leads only to evil.
For those who are evil will be destroyed,(S)
    but those who hope(T) in the Lord will inherit the land.(U)

10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;(V)
    though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land(W)
    and enjoy peace and prosperity.(X)

12 The wicked plot(Y) against the righteous
    and gnash their teeth(Z) at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he knows their day is coming.(AA)

14 The wicked draw the sword(AB)
    and bend the bow(AC)
to bring down the poor and needy,(AD)
    to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,(AE)
    and their bows will be broken.(AF)

16 Better the little that the righteous have
    than the wealth(AG) of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,(AH)
    but the Lord upholds(AI) the righteous.

18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,(AJ)
    and their inheritance will endure forever.(AK)
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
    in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20 But the wicked will perish:(AL)
    Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
    they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.(AM)

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
    but the righteous give generously;(AN)
22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
    but those he curses(AO) will be destroyed.(AP)

23 The Lord makes firm the steps(AQ)
    of the one who delights(AR) in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,(AS)
    for the Lord upholds(AT) him with his hand.

25 I was young and now I am old,
    yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken(AU)
    or their children begging(AV) bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;(AW)
    their children will be a blessing.[b](AX)

27 Turn from evil and do good;(AY)
    then you will dwell in the land forever.(AZ)
28 For the Lord loves the just
    and will not forsake his faithful ones.(BA)

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed[c];
    the offspring of the wicked will perish.(BB)
29 The righteous will inherit the land(BC)
    and dwell in it forever.(BD)

30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,(BE)
    and their tongues speak what is just.
31 The law of their God is in their hearts;(BF)
    their feet do not slip.(BG)

32 The wicked lie in wait(BH) for the righteous,(BI)
    intent on putting them to death;
33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
    or let them be condemned(BJ) when brought to trial.(BK)

34 Hope in the Lord(BL)
    and keep his way.(BM)
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
    when the wicked are destroyed,(BN) you will see(BO) it.

35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
    flourishing(BP) like a luxuriant native tree,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
    though I looked for him, he could not be found.(BQ)

37 Consider the blameless,(BR) observe the upright;(BS)
    a future awaits those who seek peace.[d](BT)
38 But all sinners(BU) will be destroyed;(BV)
    there will be no future[e] for the wicked.(BW)

39 The salvation(BX) of the righteous comes from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in time of trouble.(BY)
40 The Lord helps(BZ) them and delivers(CA) them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves(CB) them,
    because they take refuge(CC) in him.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the stanzas of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  2. Psalm 37:26 Or freely; / the names of their children will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or freely; / others will see that their children are blessed
  3. Psalm 37:28 See Septuagint; Hebrew They will be protected forever
  4. Psalm 37:37 Or upright; / those who seek peace will have posterity
  5. Psalm 37:38 Or posterity