Psalm 37

¹ FRET not thyself because of the ungodly * neither be thou envious against the evil-doers.

² For they shall soon be cut down like the grass * and be withered even as the green herb.

³ Put thou thy trust in the Lord, and be doing good * dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

⁴ Delight thou in the Lord * and he shall give thee thy heart's desire.

⁵ Commit thy way unto the Lord, and put thy trust in him * and he shall bring it to pass.

⁶ He shall make thy righteousness as clear as the light * and thy just dealing as the noon-day.

⁷ Hold thee still in the Lord, and abide patiently upon him * but grieve not thyself at him whose way doth prosper, against the man that doeth after evil counsels.

⁸ Leave off from wrath, and let go displeasure * fret not thyself, else shalt thou be moved to do evil.

⁹ Wicked doers shall be rooted out * and they that patiently abide the Lord, those shall inherit the land.

¹⁰ Yet a little while, and the ungodly shall be clean gone * thou shalt look after his place, and he shall be away.

¹¹ But the meek-spirited shall possess the earth * and shall be refreshed in the multitude of peace.

¹² The ungodly seeketh counsel against the just * and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

¹³ The Lord shall laugh him to scorn * for he hath seen that his day is coming.

¹⁴ The ungodly have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow * to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as are of a right conversation.

¹⁵ Their sword shall go through their own heart * and their bow shall be broken.

¹⁶ A small thing that the righteous hath * is better than great riches of the ungodly.

¹⁷ For the arms of the ungodly shall be broken * and the Lord upholdeth the righteous.

¹⁸ The Lord knoweth the days of the godly * and their inheritance shall endure for ever.

¹⁹ They shall not be confounded in the perilous time * and in the days of dearth they shall have enough.

²⁰ As for the ungodly, they shall perish; and the enemies of the Lord shall consume as the fat of lambs * yea, even as the smoke shall they consume away.

²¹ The ungodly borroweth, and payeth not again * but the righteous is merciful and liberal.

²² Such as are blessed of God shall possess the land * and they that are cursed of him shall be rooted out.

²³ The Lord ordereth a good man's going * and maketh his way acceptable to himself.

²⁴ Though he fall, he shall not be cast away * for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

²⁵ I have been young, and now am old * and yet saw I never the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread.

²⁶ The righteous is ever merciful, and lendeth * and his seed is blessed.

²⁷ Flee from evil, and do the thing that is good * and dwell for evermore.

²⁸ For the Lord loveth the thing that is right * he forsaketh not his that be godly, but they are preserved for ever.

²⁹ The unrighteous shall be punished * as for the seed of the ungodly, it shall be rooted out.

³⁰ The righteous shall inherit the land * and dwell therein for ever.

³¹ The mouth of the righteous is exercised in wisdom * and his tongue will be talking of judgement.

³² The law of his God is in his heart * and his goings shall not slide.

³³ The ungodly seeth the righteous * and seeketh occasion to slay him.

³⁴ The Lord will not leave him in his hand * nor condemn him when he is judged.

³⁵ Hope thou in the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall promote thee, that thou shalt possess the land * when the ungodly shall perish, thou shalt see it.

³⁶ I myself have seen the ungodly in great power * and flourishing like a green bay-tree.

³⁷ I went by, and lo, he was gone * I sought him, but his place could no where be found.

³⁸ Keep innocency, and take heed unto the thing that is right * for that shall bring a man peace at the last.

³⁹ As for the transgressors, they shall perish together * and the end of the ungodly is, they shall be rooted out at the last.

⁴⁰ But the salvation of the righteous cometh of the Lord * who is also their strength in the time of trouble.

⁴¹ And the Lord shall stand by them, and save them * he shall deliver them from the ungodly, and shall save them, because they put their trust in him.