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Psalm 37
GOD’S WORD Translation
Psalm 37
GOD’S WORD Translation
By David.
37 Do not be preoccupied with evildoers.
Do not envy those who do wicked things.
2 They will quickly dry up like grass
and wither away like green plants.
3 Trust the Lord, and do good things.
Live in the land, and practice being faithful.
4 Be happy with the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Entrust your ways to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will act ⌞on your behalf⌟.
6 He will make your righteousness shine like a light,
your just cause like the noonday sun.
7 Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him.
Do not be preoccupied with ⌞an evildoer⌟ who succeeds in his way
when he carries out his schemes.
8 Let go of anger, and leave rage behind.
Do not be preoccupied.
It only leads to evil.
9 Evildoers will be cut off ⌞from their inheritance⌟,
but those who wait with hope for the Lord will inherit the land.
10 In a little while a wicked person will vanish.
Then you can carefully examine where he was,
but there will be no trace of him.
11 Oppressed people will inherit the land
and will enjoy unlimited peace.
12 The wicked person plots against a righteous one
and grits his teeth at him.
13 The Lord laughs at him
because he has seen that his time is coming.
14 Wicked people pull out their swords and bend their bows
to kill oppressed and needy people,
to slaughter those who are decent.
15 ⌞But⌟ their own swords will pierce their hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
16 The little that the righteous person has is better
than the wealth of many wicked people.
17 The arms of wicked people will be broken,
but the Lord continues to support righteous people.
18 The Lord knows the daily ⌞struggles⌟ of innocent people.
Their inheritance will last forever.
19 They will not be put to shame in trying times.
Even in times of famine they will be satisfied.
20 But wicked people will disappear.
The Lord’s enemies will vanish like the best part of a meadow.
They will vanish like smoke.
21 A wicked person borrows, but he does not repay.
A righteous person is generous and giving.
22 Those who are blessed by him will inherit the land.
Those who are cursed by him will be cut off.
23 A person’s steps are directed by the Lord,
and the Lord delights in his way.
24 When he falls, he will not be thrown down headfirst
because the Lord holds on to his hand.
25 I have been young, and now I am old,
but I have never seen a righteous person abandoned
or his descendants begging for food.
26 He is always generous and lends freely.
His descendants are a blessing.
27 Avoid evil, do good, and live forever.
28 The Lord loves justice,
and he will not abandon his godly ones.
They will be kept safe forever,
but the descendants of wicked people will be cut off.
29 Righteous people will inherit the land
and live there permanently.
30 The mouth of the righteous person reflects on wisdom.
His tongue speaks what is fair.
31 The teachings of his God are in his heart.
His feet do not slip.
32 The wicked person watches the righteous person
and seeks to kill him.
33 But the Lord will not abandon him to the wicked person’s power
or condemn him when he is brought to trial.
34 Wait with hope for the Lord, and follow his path,
and he will honor you by giving you the land.
When wicked people are cut off, you will see it.
35 I have seen a wicked person ⌞acting like⌟ a tyrant,
spreading himself out like a large cedar tree.
36 But he moved on, and now there is no trace of him.
I searched for him, but he could not be found.
37 Notice the innocent person,
and look at the decent person,
because the peacemaker has a future.
38 But rebels will be completely destroyed.
The future of wicked people will be cut off.
39 The victory for righteous people comes from the Lord.
He is their fortress in times of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and rescues them.
He rescues them from wicked people.
He saves them because they have taken refuge in him.
Psalm 37
New International Version
Psalm 37
New International Version
Psalm 37[a]
Of David.
1 Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious(A) of those who do wrong;(B)
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,(C)
like green plants they will soon die away.(D)
3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land(E) and enjoy safe pasture.(F)
4 Take delight(G) in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.(H)
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him(I) and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward(J) shine like the dawn,(K)
your vindication like the noonday sun.
7 Be still(L) before the Lord
and wait patiently(M) for him;
do not fret(N) when people succeed in their ways,(O)
when they carry out their wicked schemes.(P)
8 Refrain from anger(Q) and turn from wrath;
do not fret(R)—it leads only to evil.
9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,(S)
but those who hope(T) in the Lord will inherit the land.(U)
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;(V)
though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land(W)
and enjoy peace and prosperity.(X)
12 The wicked plot(Y) against the righteous
and gnash their teeth(Z) at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.(AA)
14 The wicked draw the sword(AB)
and bend the bow(AC)
to bring down the poor and needy,(AD)
to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,(AE)
and their bows will be broken.(AF)
16 Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth(AG) of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,(AH)
but the Lord upholds(AI) the righteous.
18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,(AJ)
and their inheritance will endure forever.(AK)
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
20 But the wicked will perish:(AL)
Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.(AM)
21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;(AN)
22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses(AO) will be destroyed.(AP)
23 The Lord makes firm the steps(AQ)
of the one who delights(AR) in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,(AS)
for the Lord upholds(AT) him with his hand.
25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken(AU)
or their children begging(AV) bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;(AW)
their children will be a blessing.[b](AX)
27 Turn from evil and do good;(AY)
then you will dwell in the land forever.(AZ)
28 For the Lord loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.(BA)
Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed[c];
the offspring of the wicked will perish.(BB)
29 The righteous will inherit the land(BC)
and dwell in it forever.(BD)
30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,(BE)
and their tongues speak what is just.
31 The law of their God is in their hearts;(BF)
their feet do not slip.(BG)
32 The wicked lie in wait(BH) for the righteous,(BI)
intent on putting them to death;
33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
or let them be condemned(BJ) when brought to trial.(BK)
34 Hope in the Lord(BL)
and keep his way.(BM)
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed,(BN) you will see(BO) it.
35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing(BP) like a luxuriant native tree,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.(BQ)
Footnotes
- Psalm 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the stanzas of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
- Psalm 37:26 Or freely; / the names of their children will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or freely; / others will see that their children are blessed
- Psalm 37:28 See Septuagint; Hebrew They will be protected forever
- Psalm 37:37 Or upright; / those who seek peace will have posterity
- Psalm 37:38 Or posterity
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
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