Psalms 37

1 A Psalm of David himself. Do not choose to imitate the malicious; neither should you envy those who work iniquity.

A psalm for David himself. Be not emulous of evildoers; nor envy them that work iniquity.

2 For they will quickly wither away like dry grass, and in like manner to kitchen herbs, they will soon droop.

For they shall shortly wither away as grass, and as the green herbs shall quickly fall.

3 Hope in the Lord and do good, and dwell in the land, and so you shall be pastured with its riches.

Trust in the Lord, and do good, and dwell in the land, and thou shalt be fed with its riches.

4 Delight in the Lord, and he will grant to you the petitions of your heart.

Delight in the Lord, and he will give thee the requests of thy heart.

5 Reveal your way to the Lord, and hope in him, and he will accomplish it.

Commit thy way to the Lord, and trust in him, and he will do it.

6 And he will bring forth your justice like the light, and your judgment like the midday.

And he will bring forth thy justice as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

7 Be subject to the Lord and pray to him. Do not choose to compete with him who prospers in his way, with the man who does injustice.

Be subject to the Lord and pray to him Envy not the man who prospereth in his way; the man who doth unjust things.

8 Cease from wrath and leave behind rage. Do not choose to imitate the malicious.

Cease from anger, and leave rage; have no emulation to do evil.

9 For those who are malicious will be exterminated. But those who remain with the Lord, these will inherit the land.

For the evildoers shall be cut off: but they that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the land.

10 Yet still a little while, and the sinner will not be. And you will search his place and find nothing.

For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: and thou shalt seek his place, and shalt not find it.

11 But the meek shall inherit the earth, and they will delight in the multitude of peace.

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

12 The sinner will observe the just, and he will gnash his teeth over him.

The sinner shall watch the just man: and shall gnash upon him with his teeth.

13 But the Lord will laugh at him: for he knows in advance that his day will come.

But the Lord shall laugh at him: for he foreseeth that his day shall come.

14 The sinners have drawn the sword, they have bent their bow, so as to cast down the poor and the needy, so as to massacre the upright of heart.

The wicked have drawn out the sword: they have bent their bow. To cast down the poor and needy, to kill the upright of heart.

15 Let their sword enter into their own hearts, and let their bow be broken.

Let their sword enter into their own hearts, and let their bow be broken.

16 A little is better to the just than the many riches of sinners.

Better is a little to the just, than the great riches of the wicked.

17 For the arms of sinners will be crushed, but the Lord confirms the just.

For the arms of the wicked shall be broken in pieces; but the Lord strengtheneth the just.

18 The Lord knows the days of the immaculate, and their inheritance will be in eternity.

The Lord knoweth the days of undefiled; and their inheritance shall be for ever.

19 They will not be confounded in an evil time; and in days of famine, they will be satisfied:

They shall not be confounded in the evil time; and in the days of famine they shall be filled:

20 for sinners will perish. Truly, the adversaries of the Lord, soon after they have been honored and exalted, will fade away, in the same way that smoke fades away.

Because the wicked shall perish. And the enemies of the Lord, presently after they shall be honoured and exalted, shall come to nothing and vanish like smoke.

21 The sinner will lend and not release, but the just one shows compassion and donates.

The sinner shall borrow, and not pay again; but the just sheweth mercy and shall give.

22 For those who bless him will inherit the earth, but those who curse him will perish.

For such as bless him shall inherit the land: but such as curse him shall perish.

23 The steps of a man will be directed by the Lord, and he will choose his way.

With the Lord shall the steps of a man be directed, and he shall like well his way.

24 When he falls, he will not be harmed, because the Lord places his hand under him.

When he shall fall he shall not be bruised, for the Lord putteth his hand under him.

25 I have been young, and now I am old; and I have not seen the just forsaken, nor his offspring seeking bread.

I have been young, and now am old; and I have not seen the just forsaken, nor his seed seeking bread.

26 He shows compassion and lends, all day long, and his offspring will be in blessing.

He sheweth mercy, and lendeth all the day long; and his seed shall be in blessing.

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

Decline from evil and do good, and dwell for ever and ever.

28 For the Lord loves judgment, and he will not abandon his saints. They will be kept safe in eternity. The unjust will be punished, and the offspring of the impious will perish.

For the Lord loveth judgment, and will not forsake his saints: they shall be preserved for ever. The unjust shall be punished, and the seed of the wicked shall perish.

29 But the just will inherit the earth, and they will dwell upon it forever and ever.

But the just shall inherit the land, and shall dwell therein for evermore.

30 The mouth of the just one will express wisdom, and his tongue will speak judgment.

The mouth of the just shall meditate wisdom: and his tongue shall speak judgment.

31 The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps shall not be supplanted.

The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps shall not be supplanted.

32 The sinner considers the just one and seeks to put him to death.

The wicked watcheth the just man, and seeketh to put him to death,

33 But the Lord will not abandon him into his hands, nor condemn him, when he will be judged.

But the Lord will not leave in his hands; nor condemn him when he shall be judged.

34 Wait for the Lord, and keep to his way. And he will exalt you, so as to inherit the land that you may seize. When the sinners will have passed away, then you shall see.

Expect the Lord and keep his way: and he will exalt thee to inherit the land: when the sinners shall perish thou shalt see.

35 I have seen the impious over-exalted, and lifted up like the cedars of Lebanon.

I have seen the wicked highly exalted, and lifted up like the cedars of Libanus.

36 And I passed by, and behold, he was not. And I sought him, and his place was not found.

And I passed by, and lo, he was not: and I sought him and his place was not found.

37 Keep to innocence, and gaze upon fairness: because there are allotments for the peaceful man.

Keep innocence, and behold justice: for there are remnants for the peaceable man.

38 But the unjust will be destroyed together: the allotments of the impious will pass away.

But the unjust shall be destroyed together: the remnants of the wicked shall perish.

39 But the salvation of the just is from the Lord, and he is their protector in time of tribulation.

But the salvation of the just is from the Lord, and he is their protector in the time of trouble.

40 And the Lord will help them and free them. And he will rescue them from sinners and save them, because they have hoped in him.

And the Lord will help them and deliver them: and he will rescue them from the wicked, and save them, because they have hoped in him.