Psalms 37 — NETB

By David.

37Verse 1Do not fret when wicked men seem to succeed!
Do not envy evildoers!
^{Verse 2}For they will quickly dry up like grass,
and wither away like plants.
^{Verse 3}Trust in the Lord and do what is right!
Settle in the land and maintain your integrity!
^{Verse 4}Then you will take delight in the Lord,
and he will answer your prayers.
^{Verse 5}Commit your future to the Lord!
Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf.
^{Verse 6}He will vindicate you in broad daylight,
and publicly defend your just cause.
^{Verse 7}Wait patiently for the Lord!
Wait confidently for him!
Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner,
a man who carries out wicked schemes!
^{Verse 8}Do not be angry and frustrated!
Do not fret! That only leads to trouble!
^{Verse 9}Wicked men will be wiped out,
but those who rely on the Lord are the ones who will possess the land.
^{Verse 10}Evil men will soon disappear;
you will stare at the spot where they once were, but they will be gone.
^{Verse 11}But the oppressed will possess the land
and enjoy great prosperity.
^{Verse 12}Evil men plot against the godly
and viciously attack them.
^{Verse 13}The Lord laughs in disgust at them,
for he knows that their day is coming.
^{Verse 14}Evil men draw their swords
and prepare their bows,
to bring down the oppressed and needy,
and to slaughter those who are godly.
^{Verse 15}Their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
^{Verse 16}The little bit that a godly man owns is better than
the wealth of many evil men,
^{Verse 17}for evil men will lose their power,
but the Lord sustains the godly.
^{Verse 18}The Lord watches over the innocent day by day
and they possess a permanent inheritance.
^{Verse 19}They will not be ashamed when hard times come;
when famine comes they will have enough to eat.
^{Verse 20}But evil men will die;
the Lord’s enemies will be incinerated –
they will go up in smoke.
^{Verse 21}Evil men borrow, but do not repay their debt,
but the godly show compassion and are generous.
^{Verse 22}Surely those favored by the Lord will possess the land,
but those rejected by him will be wiped out.
^{Verse 23}The Lord grants success to the one
whose behavior he finds commendable.
^{Verse 24}Even if he trips, he will not fall headlong,
for the Lord holds his hand.
^{Verse 25}I was once young, now I am old.
I have never seen a godly man abandoned,
or his children forced to search for food.
^{Verse 26}All day long he shows compassion and lends to others,
and his children are blessed.
^{Verse 27}Turn away from evil! Do what is right!
Then you will enjoy lasting security.
^{Verse 28}For the Lord promotes justice,
and never abandons his faithful followers.
They are permanently secure,
but the children of evil men are wiped out.
^{Verse 29}The godly will possess the land
and will dwell in it permanently.
^{Verse 30}The godly speak wise words
and promote justice.
^{Verse 31}The law of their God controls their thinking;
their feet do not slip.
^{Verse 32}Evil men set an ambush for the godly
and try to kill them.
^{Verse 33}But the Lord does not surrender the godly,
or allow them to be condemned in a court of law.
^{Verse 34}Rely on the Lord! Obey his commands!
Then he will permit you to possess the land;
you will see the demise of evil men.
^{Verse 35}I have seen ruthless evil men
growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil.
^{Verse 36}But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared!
I looked for them, but they could not be found.
^{Verse 37}Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly!
For the one who promotes peace has a future.
^{Verse 38}Sinful rebels are totally destroyed;
evil men have no future.
^{Verse 39}But the Lord delivers the godly;
he protects them in times of trouble.
^{Verse 40}The Lord helps them and rescues them;
he rescues them from evil men and delivers them,
for they seek his protection.