Psalms 37

Of David.

1Do not be provoked by evildoers; do not envy those who do wrong.

2For they will quickly wither like grass, and fade like green plants.

3Trust in Yahweh and do good; dwell in the land and feed on faithfulness.

4Delight yourself in Yahweh, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5Commit your way to Yahweh; trust in him, and he will act.

6He will bring forth your righteousness like the light, and your cause like the noonday.

7Be still before Yahweh, and wait patiently for him; do not burn with anger because of one who prospers in his way, because of a man who carries out schemes.

8Let go of anger and abandon wrath; do not become heated—it only leads to doing evil.

9For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for Yahweh—they will inherit the land.

10Just a little while longer, and the wicked will be no more; you will look carefully at his place, but he will not be there.

11But the humble will inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.

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

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

14The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow, to bring down the poor and needy, to slaughter those whose way is upright.

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

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

17For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but Yahweh upholds the righteous.

18Yahweh knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will last forever.

19They will not be put to shame in a time of trouble, and in days of famine they will have their fill.

20For the wicked will perish, and the enemies of Yahweh are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

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

22For those blessed by him will inherit the land, but those cursed by him will be cut off.

23Yahweh establishes a man's steps, and he delights in his way.

24Though he falls, he will not be hurled down, for Yahweh holds his hand.

25I was young, and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his offspring begging for bread.

26All day long he is gracious and lends, and his offspring are a blessing.

27Turn away from evil and do good, and dwell forever.

28For Yahweh loves justice and does not forsake his faithful ones; they are preserved forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off.

29The righteous will inherit the land and dwell on it forever.

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

31The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.

32The wicked watches the righteous and seeks to put him to death.

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

34Wait for Yahweh and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

35I have seen a wicked, ruthless man spreading himself out like a flourishing native tree.

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

37Observe the blameless, and see the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.

38But transgressors are destroyed together; the future of the wicked is cut off.

39The salvation of the righteous is from Yahweh; he is their stronghold in a time of trouble.

40Yahweh helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.