Psalm 37 – Trust in the Lord and Do Good

Of David.

37 Be not kindled to wrath at the wicked,

nor envious of those who work wrong;

2 for, like grass, they will speedily wither,

and fade like the green of young grass.

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;

remain in the land, and deal faithfully:

4 then the Lord will be your delight,

he will grant you your heart’s petitions.

5 Commit your way to the Lord;

trust in him, and he will act,

6 making clear as the light your right,

and your just cause clear as the noon-day.

7 In silence and patience wait on the Lord.

Be not kindled to anger at those who prosper.

At those who execute evil devices.

8 Desist from anger, abandon wrath:

be not kindled to anger it leads but to evil:

9 for evildoers will be cut off,

but the land will be theirs, who wait on the Lord.

10 Yet but a little, and the wicked vanish:

look at their place: they are there no more.

11 But the humble will have the land,

and the rapture of peace in abundance.

12 The wicked plots against the righteous,

snarls like a wild animal;

13 the Lord laughs,

for he sees that his day is coming.

14 The wicked have drawn the sword, and bent the bow,

to fell the poor, to slay those who walk uprightly;

15 but their sword will pierce their own heart,

and their bows will be broken in pieces.

16 Better is the righteous person’s little

than the wealth of many wicked.

17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken,

but the Lord upholds the righteous.

18 The Lord watches over the days of the blameless,

their heritage will continue forever.

19 They will not be shamed in the evil time,

in the days of famine they will be satisfied.

20 Because the wicked will perish:

but the foes of the Lord, like a brand in the oven,

will vanish, like smoke they will vanish.

21 The wicked must borrow and cannot pay back,

but the righteous is lavish and gives.

22 For those blest by the Lord inherit the land,

while those whom he curses will be cut off.

23 The Lord supports the steps

of those with whom he is pleased.

24 Though they fall, they will not be cast headlong,

for the Lord holds their hands.

25 Never, from youth to age,

have I seen the righteous forsaken,

or their children begging bread.

26 They are ever lavishly lending,

and their children are fountains of blessing.

27 Turn away from evil and do good

and you will live in the land forever.

28 For the Lord loves justice,

he does not forsake his friends.

The unrighteous will be destroyed forever,

and the seed of the wicked will be cut off.

29 But the land will belong to the righteous,

they will live upon it forever,

30 The mouth of the righteous murmurs wisdom,

and words of justice are on their tongues.

31 The law of their God is in their heart,

their steps are never unsteady.

32 The wicked watches the righteous,

and seeks to put them to death.

33 But the Lord leaves them not in their hand:

at their trial they will not be held guilty.

34 Wait on the Lord, and observe his way:

he will lift you to honour the land will be yours,

you will feast your eyes on the doom of the wicked.

35 I have seen the wicked exultant,

lifting themselves like a cedar of Lebanon.

36 But the moment I passed, they vanished!

I sought for them, but they could not be found.

37 Preserve your honour and practise uprightness,

for such a person fares well in the end.

38 But transgressors will perish together.

Cut off are the wicked forever.

39 The righteous are saved by the Lord,

who in time of distress is their refuge:

40 the Lord helps and rescue them,

from the wicked he rescues and saves them,

because they take refuge in him.