Psalm 37

By David.

1Do not fret when wicked men seem to succeed!

Do not envy evildoers!

2For they will quickly dry up like grass,

and wither away like plants.

3Trust in the Lord and do what is right!

Settle in the land and maintain your integrity!

4Then you will take delight in the Lord,

and he will answer your prayers.

5Commit your future to the Lord!

Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf.

6He will vindicate you in broad daylight,

and publicly defend your just cause.

7Wait patiently for the Lord!

Wait confidently for him!

Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner,

a man who carries out wicked schemes!

8Do not be angry and frustrated!

Do not fret! That only leads to trouble!

9Wicked men will be wiped out,

but those who rely on the Lord are the ones who will possess the land.

10Evil men will soon disappear;

you will stare at the spot where they once were, but they will be gone.

11But the oppressed will possess the land

and enjoy great prosperity.

12Evil men plot against the godly

and viciously attack them.

13The Lord laughs in disgust at them,

for he knows that their day is coming.

14Evil men draw their swords

and prepare their bows,

to bring down the oppressed and needy,

and to slaughter those who are godly.

15Their swords will pierce their own hearts,

and their bows will be broken.

16The little bit that a godly man owns is better than

the wealth of many evil men,

17for evil men will lose their power,

but the Lord sustains the godly.

18The Lord watches over the innocent day by day

and they possess a permanent inheritance.

19They will not be ashamed when hard times come;

when famine comes they will have enough to eat.

20But evil men will die;

the Lord’s enemies will be incinerated –

they will go up in smoke.

21Evil men borrow, but do not repay their debt,

but the godly show compassion and are generous.

22Surely those favored by the Lord will possess the land,

but those rejected by him will be wiped out.

23The Lord grants success to the one

whose behavior he finds commendable.

24Even if he trips, he will not fall headlong,

for the Lord holds his hand.

25I was once young, now I am old.

I have never seen a godly man abandoned,

or his children forced to search for food.

26All day long he shows compassion and lends to others,

and his children are blessed.

27Turn away from evil! Do what is right!

Then you will enjoy lasting security.

28For the Lord promotes justice,

and never abandons his faithful followers.

They are permanently secure,

but the children of evil men are wiped out.

29The godly will possess the land

and will dwell in it permanently.

30The godly speak wise words

and promote justice.

31The law of their God controls their thinking;

their feet do not slip.

32Evil men set an ambush for the godly

and try to kill them.

33But the Lord does not surrender the godly,

or allow them to be condemned in a court of law.

34Rely on the Lord! Obey his commands!

Then he will permit you to possess the land;

you will see the demise of evil men.

35I have seen ruthless evil men

growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil.

36But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared!

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

37Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly!

For the one who promotes peace has a future.

38Sinful rebels are totally destroyed;

evil men have no future.

39But the Lord delivers the godly;

he protects them in times of trouble.

40The Lord helps them and rescues them;

he rescues them from evil men and delivers them,

for they seek his protection.