Psalm 37

(English Standard Version)

He Will Not Forsake His Saints

Of David.

¹Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
²For they will soon fade like the grass
and witherlike the green herb.

³ Trust in the LORD, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
⁴Delight yourself in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act.
⁶ He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.

⁷ Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!

⁸ Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
^R Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
⁹ For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the LORD shall^T)">(T) inherit the land.

¹⁰In^U)">(U) just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at^V)">(V) his place, he will not be there.
¹¹But^W)">(W) the meek (those who know there power but choose to not use it without God's wisdom) shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in^X)">(X) abundant peace.

¹²The wicked^Y)">(Y) plots against the righteous
and^Z)">(Z) gnashes his teeth at him,
¹³but the Lord^AA)">(AA) laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that his^AB)">(AB) day is coming.

¹⁴The wicked draw the sword and^AC)">(AC) bend their bows
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose^AD)">(AD) way is upright;
¹⁵their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their^AE)">(AE) bows shall be broken.

¹⁶^AF)">(AF) Better is the little that the righteous has
than the abundance of many wicked.
¹⁷For^AG)">(AG) the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the LORD^AH)">(AH) upholds the righteous.

¹⁸The LORD^AI)">(AI) knows the days of the blameless,
and their^AJ)">(AJ) heritage will remain forever;
¹⁹they are not put to shame in evil times;
in^AK)">(AK) the days of famine they have abundance.

²⁰But the wicked will perish;
the enemies of the LORD are like^AL)">(AL) the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like^AM)">(AM) smoke they vanish away.

²¹The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
but the righteous^AN)">(AN) is generous and gives;
²²for those blessed by the LORD^c]">[c] shall^AO)">(AO) inherit the land,
but those cursed by him^AP)">(AP) shall be cut off.

²³The^AQ)">(AQ) steps of a man are^AR)">(AR) established by the LORD,
when he delights in his way;
²⁴^AS)">(AS) though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the LORD^AT)">(AT) upholds his hand.

²⁵I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children^AU)">(AU) begging for bread.
²⁶He is ever^AV)">(AV) lending generously,
and his children become a blessing.

²⁷^AW)">(AW) Turn away from evil and do good;
so shall you^AX)">(AX) dwell forever.
²⁸For the LORD^AY)">(AY) loves justice;
he will not forsake his^AZ)">(AZ) saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be^BA)">(BA) cut off.
²⁹The righteous shall inherit the land
and^BB)">(BB) dwell upon it forever.

³⁰The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks justice.
³¹^BC)">(BC) The law of his God is in his heart;
his^BD)">(BD) steps do not slip.

³²The wicked^BE)">(BE) watches for the righteous
and seeks to put him to death.
³³The LORD will not^BF)">(BF) abandon him to his power
or let him^BG)">(BG) be condemned when he is brought to trial.

³⁴^BH)">(BH) Wait for the LORD and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on^BI)">(BI) when the wicked are cut off.

³⁵^BJ)">(BJ) I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
spreading himself like^BK)">(BK) a green laurel tree.^d]">[d]
³⁶But he passed away,^e]">[e] and behold,^BL)">(BL) he was no more;
though I sought him, he could not be found.

³⁷Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is a future for the man of^BM)">(BM) peace.
³⁸But^BN)">(BN) transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the future of the wicked^BO)">(BO) shall be cut off.

³⁹^BP)">(BP) The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
he is their stronghold in^BQ)">(BQ) the time of trouble.
⁴⁰The LORD helps them and^BR)">(BR) delivers them;
^BS)">(BS) he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they^BT)">(BT) take refuge in him.