Psalms 37 — FBV

A psalm of David.

37Verse 1Don't be upset over wicked people, or be jealous of those who do wrong.
^{Verse 2}For like grass, they will quickly dry up; like plants, they will soon wither away.
^{Verse 3}Trust in the Lord, and do good. Live in the land and feed on faithfulness.
^{Verse 4}Find your happiness in the Lord, and he will give you what you want the most.
^{Verse 5}Entrust all that you do to the Lord. Place your confidence in him and he will help you.
^{Verse 6}He will make your vindication shine like a light, the rightness of your cause like the noonday sun.
^{Verse 7}Be still in God's presence; wait patiently for him. Don't be upset over people who prosper when they carry out their evil schemes.
^{Verse 8}Give up your anger! Let go of your rage! Don't get mad—it only results in evil!
^{Verse 9}For the wicked will be destroyed, and those who trust in the Lord will take possession of the land.
^{Verse 10}In a little while the wicked will be no more—though you look for them you won't find them.
^{Verse 11}The humble will own the land; they will live there happily, in peace and prosperity.
^{Verse 12}The wicked plot evil against those who do good, gnashing their teeth at them.
^{Verse 13}But the Lord laughs at them, for he sees their coming day of judgment.
^{Verse 14}The wicked draw their swords, and bend their bows to destroy the poor and needy, to kill those who live right.
^{Verse 15}But the swords of the wicked⁺will slice through their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.
^{Verse 16}It's better to do right and only have a little, than to be wicked and rich.
^{Verse 17}For the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord supports those who do right.
^{Verse 18}The Lord knows what is happening to the innocent and grants them an eternal inheritance.
^{Verse 19}They will not be humiliated in bad times; even in days of famine they will have plenty to eat.
^{Verse 20}But the wicked will die. The enemies of the Lord are like the flowers of the field—they will vanish like smoke.
^{Verse 21}The wicked borrow, but don't repay; while those who do right give generously.
^{Verse 22}Those who are blessed by God will own the land, but those he curses will die.
^{Verse 23}The Lord shows the right path to those who follow him, and is happy with the way they live.
^{Verse 24}Though they may trip up, they will not fall to the ground, for the Lord holds their hand.
^{Verse 25}Once I was young, and now I've grown old, yet I've never seen those who do right abandoned, nor their children having to beg for bread.
^{Verse 26}They are always kind, and generous with their loans; their children are a blessing.
^{Verse 27}Reject evil, do what is good, and you will live forever in the land.
^{Verse 28}For the Lord loves fairness and he will never abandon those who are trustworthy. He will protect them forever. But the children of the wicked will die.
^{Verse 29}Those who do right will own the land and will live there forever.
^{Verse 30}People who do right give good advice, explaining what is fair.
^{Verse 31}God's law lives in their minds, so they will not slip from his way.
^{Verse 32}The wicked lie in wait for those who do good, intending to kill them.
^{Verse 33}But the Lord will not let them fall into the hands of the wicked, and he will not let those who do good be condemned when they are put on trial.
^{Verse 34}Trust in the Lord, and stay on his path. He will lift you up and give you the land to own. You will see when the wicked are destroyed.
^{Verse 35}I have watched the wicked acting brutally, spreading like a large tree in its native land.
^{Verse 36}But when I passed that way the next time, they were gone. I searched for them but couldn't find them.
^{Verse 37}Observe the innocent, look at those who do right! Those who love peace have a future!
^{Verse 38}But those who are rebellious will be altogether destroyed; the wicked have no future.
^{Verse 39}The Lord saves those who live right; he is their protection in times of trouble.
^{Verse 40}The Lord helps them and rescues them from the wicked. He saves them because they go to him for protection.