Psalm 37
Do Not Fret Because of Evildoers
By David.
Don't Be Frustrated by the Wicked
1Do not fret because of evildoers.
Do not be envious of those who do wrong,
2for like grass they will wither quickly.
Like green plants they will wilt.
Trust in God's Goodness
3Trust in the Lord, and do good.
Dwell in the land and feed on faithfulness.[] 4Take pleasure in the Lord,
and he will grant your heart's desires.
5Commit your way to the Lord.
Trust in him, and he will act.
6He will make your righteousness shine like light,
your justice like noon.
7Be silent before the Lord. Wait patiently for him.
Do not fret when an evil man succeeds in his ways,
when he carries out his wicked schemes.
Consider the Final Destiny of the Wicked
8Let go of anger and abandon rage.
Do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9For evildoers will be cut off,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the earth.
10After a little while the wicked will be no more.
When you search for them at their place, they are not there.
11But the meek[] will inherit the earth. They will enjoy plenty of peace.
12The wicked person plots against the righteous.
He gnashes his teeth at him,
13but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
because he sees that his day is coming.
14The wicked draw their sword,
and they bend their bow
to make the poor and needy fall,
to slaughter those whose ways are upright.
15Their swords will pierce their hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
Be Satisfied with God's Blessings
16Better the little that one righteous person has
than the wealth of many wicked people,
17because the arms of the wicked will be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18The Lord knows the days of the blameless.
Their inheritance will last forever.
19They will not be ashamed in time of disaster.
In days of famine they will be full.
20Surely the wicked will perish.
The enemies of the Lord will be
like beautiful flowers in the pastures.
But they will vanish. Like smoke they will vanish.
Continue to Live a Godly Life
21The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous are gracious and give.
22So those God blesses will inherit the earth,
but those he curses will be cut off.
23By the Lord the steps of a person are made secure.
Then he will delight in his way.
24Though he falls, he will not stay down,
because the Lord holds him by his hand.
25I was a young man. Now I am old.
But I have never seen a righteous person forsaken
or his children begging for bread.
26Every day he is gracious and lends.
His children will be blessed.
27Turn back from evil and do good.
Then you will remain forever.
28For the Lord loves justice.
He will not forsake his favored ones.[] They will be protected forever,
but the descendants of the wicked will be cut off.
29The righteous will inherit the earth.
They will dwell on it forever.
30The mouth of the righteous person utters wisdom.
His tongue speaks what is just.
31The law of his God is in his heart.
His steps do not slip.
Review of the Theme
32The wicked spy on the righteous one and seek to kill him.
33The Lord will not leave him in their hand.
He will not let him be condemned when he is put on trial.
34Wait for the Lord and keep to his way.
He will raise you up to take possession of the earth.
When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
35I saw a wicked, ruthless man.
He was rooted like a green plant in its native soil,
36but he passed away. Just like that, he was gone!
I searched for him, but he could not be found.
37Take note of the blameless. Look at the upright.
Yes, there is a future for the man of peace,
38but rebels will be completely destroyed.
The future of the wicked will be cut off.
39The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord.
He is their stronghold in times of stress.
40The Lord helps them and delivers them.
He delivers them from the wicked.
He saves them, because they have taken refuge in him.