Psalm 37 - Modern English Version

A Psalm of David.

¹ Fret not because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.

² For they will soon fade like the grass, and wither like the green herb.

³ Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and shepherd faithfulness.

⁴ Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the Lord; trust also in Him, and He will bring it to pass.

⁶ He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

⁷ Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; fret not because of those who prosper in their way, because of those who bring wicked schemes to pass.

⁸ Let go of anger and forsake wrath; fret not—it leads only to evil.

⁹ For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait on the Lord shall inherit the earth.

¹⁰ Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look diligently for his place, he will not be there.

¹¹ But the meek shall inherit the land, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

¹² The wicked plots against the righteous, and gnashes his teeth at him.

¹³ The Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming.

¹⁴ The wicked have drawn the sword and have bent their bows, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay those who walk uprightly.

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

¹⁶ Better is a little that the righteous man has than the abundance of many wicked.

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

¹⁸ The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will abide forever.

¹⁹ They shall not be ashamed in evil times, and in the days of famine they shall have abundance.

²⁰ But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord, like the glory of the meadows, shall vanish; like smoke they shall vanish away.

²¹ The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous is generous and gives.

²² For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, but those cursed by Him shall be cut off.

²³ The steps of a man are made firm by the Lord when He delights in his way.

²⁴ Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholds him with His hand.

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

²⁶ The righteous is ever generous and lends, and his descendants become a blessing.

²⁷ Depart from evil, and do good; so shall you abide forever.

²⁸ For the Lord loves justice, and does not forsake His saints; they are preserved forever, but the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.

²⁹ The righteous shall inherit the land, and live in it forever.

³⁰ The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.

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

³² The wicked watches the righteous, and seeks to kill him.

³³ The Lord will not abandon him to his power, or let him be condemned when he is judged.

³⁴ Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will look on.

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

³⁶ Yet he passed by, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found.

³⁷ Mark the blameless man, and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.

³⁸ But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; the future of the wicked shall be cut off.

³⁹ But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their refuge in the time of trouble.

⁴⁰ The Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they take refuge in Him.