Psalm 37
Instruction in Wisdom
Davidic.
1 Do[a] not be agitated by evildoers;
do not envy those who do wrong.(A)
2 For they wither quickly like grass
and wilt like tender green plants.(B)
3 Trust in the Lord and do what is good;(C)
dwell in the land and live securely.[b](D)
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and He will give you your heart’s desires.(E)
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in Him, and He will act,(F)
6 making your righteousness shine like the dawn,
your justice like the noonday.(G)
7 Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him;(H)
do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way,
by the man who carries out evil plans.(I)
8 Refrain from anger and give up your rage;
do not be agitated—it can only bring harm.(J)
9 For evildoers will be destroyed,
but those who put their hope in the Lord
will inherit the land.[c](K)
10 A little while, and the wicked person will be no more;
though you look for him, he will not be there.(L)
11 But the humble will inherit the land[d](M)
and will enjoy abundant prosperity.(N)
12 The wicked person schemes against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him.(O)
13 The Lord laughs at him(P)
because He sees that his day is coming.(Q)
14 The wicked have drawn the sword and strung the[e] bow
to bring down the afflicted and needy
and to slaughter those whose way is upright.(R)
15 Their swords will enter their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.(S)
16 The little that the righteous man has is better
than the abundance of many wicked people.(T)
17 For the arms[f] of the wicked will be broken,(U)
but the Lord supports the righteous.(V)
18 The Lord watches over the blameless all their days,
and their inheritance will last forever.(W)
19 They will not be disgraced in times of adversity;
they will be satisfied in days of hunger.(X)
20 But the wicked will perish;
the Lord’s enemies, like the glory of the pastures,
will fade away—
they will fade away like smoke.(Y)
21 The wicked man borrows and does not repay,
but the righteous one is gracious and giving.(Z)
22 Those who are blessed by Him will inherit the land,[g]
but those cursed by Him will be destroyed.(AA)
23 A man’s steps are established by the Lord,
and He takes pleasure in his way.(AB)
24 Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed,
because the Lord holds his hand.[h](AC)
25 I have been young and now I am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned
or his children begging for bread.(AD)
26 He is always generous, always lending,
and his children are a blessing.(AE)
27 Turn away from evil and do what is good,
and dwell there[i] forever.(AF)
28 For the Lord loves justice
and will not abandon His faithful ones.(AG)
They are kept safe forever,
but the children of the wicked will be destroyed.(AH)
29 The righteous will inherit the land[j]
and dwell in it permanently.(AI)
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom;
his tongue speaks what is just.(AJ)
31 The instruction of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not falter.(AK)
32 The wicked one lies in wait for the righteous
and seeks to kill him;(AL)
33 the Lord will not leave him
in the power of the wicked one
or allow him to be condemned when he is judged.(AM)
34 Wait for the Lord and keep His way,
and He will exalt you to inherit the land.
You will watch when the wicked are destroyed.(AN)
35 I have seen a wicked, violent man
well-rooted[k] like a flourishing native tree.(AO)
36 Then I passed by and[l] noticed he was gone;
I searched for him, but he could not be found.(AP)
37 Watch the blameless and observe the upright,
for the man of peace will have a future.[m](AQ)
38 But transgressors will all be eliminated;
the future[n] of the wicked will be destroyed.(AR)
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord,
their refuge in a time of distress.(AS)
40 The Lord helps and delivers them;
He will deliver them from the wicked and will save them
because they take refuge in Him.(AT)
Footnotes
- Psalm 37:1 The lines of this poem form an acrostic.
- Psalm 37:3 Or and cultivate faithfulness
- Psalm 37:9 Or earth
- Psalm 37:11 Or earth
- Psalm 37:14 Lit their
- Psalm 37:17 Or power
- Psalm 37:22 Or earth
- Psalm 37:24 Or Lord supports with His hand
- Psalm 37:27 = dwell in the land
- Psalm 37:29 Or earth
- Psalm 37:35 Hb obscure
- Psalm 37:36 DSS, LXX, Syr, Vg, Jer; MT reads Then he passed away, and I
- Psalm 37:37 Or posterity
- Psalm 37:38 Or posterity
Cross references
- 37:1 : Ps 73:3; Pr 3:31; 23:17; 24:19
- 37:2 : Ps 92:7; 129:6; Jms 1:11
- 37:3 : Ps 62:8
- 37:3 : Pr 2:21
- 37:4 : Ps 21:2; 145:19; Is 58:14
- 37:5 : Ps 55:22; Pr 16:3; 1Pt 5:7
- 37:6 : Ps 97:11; Is 58:8, 10
- 37:7 : Ps 40:1; Lm 3:26
- 37:7 : Jr 12:1
- 37:8 : Eph 4:31; Col 3:8
- 37:9 : Pr 2:21; Is 57:13; 60:21
- 37:10 : Jb 7:10; 24:24; Ps 37:35-36
- 37:11 : Mt 5:5
- 37:11 : Ps 72:7
- 37:12 : Ps 31:13, 20; 35:16
- 37:13 : Ps 2:4; 59:8; Hab 1:10
- 37:13 : 1Sm 26:10
- 37:14 : Ps 11:2; Lm 2:4
- 37:15 : 1Sm 2:4; Ps 46:9
- 37:16 : Pr 15:16; 16:8
- 37:17 : Ps 10:15
- 37:17 : Ps 145:14
- 37:18 : Ps 1:6
- 37:19 : Jb 5:20; Ps 33:19
- 37:20 : Ps 68:2; Hs 13:3
- 37:21 : Ps 112:5, 9
- 37:22 : Pr 3:33
- 37:23 : 1Sm 2:9; Ps 66:9
- 37:24 : Ps 145:14; Pr 24:16; Mc 7:8
- 37:25 : Is 41:17
- 37:26 : Dt 15:8; Ps 112:5, 9; Mt 5:42
- 37:27 : Ps 34:14; 102:28
- 37:28 : Dt 31:6; Heb 13:5
- 37:28 : Ps 21:10; Pr 2:22
- 37:29 : Pr 2:21; Is 60:21
- 37:30 : Ps 49:3; 119:13; Pr 10:13
- 37:31 : Dt 6:6; Ps 40:8; 119:11
- 37:32 : Ps 10:8; 17:11
- 37:33 : Ps 34:22; 109:31; 2Pt 2:9
- 37:34 : Ps 27:14; 52:5-6; 91:8
- 37:35 : Jb 5:3; Jr 12:2
- 37:36 : Jb 20:5
- 37:37 : Is 57:1-2
- 37:38 : Ps 1:4-6; Pr 2:22
- 37:39 : Ps 3:8; 9:9; 62:1
- 37:40 : Ps 22:4; 34:22; 54:4