Chapter 37

¹{[A Psalm] of David.} Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, and be not envious of them that work unrighteousness; ²for they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and fade as the green herb. ³Confide in Jehovah, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on faithfulness; ⁴and delight thyself in Jehovah, and he will give thee the desires of thy heart. ⁵Commit thy way unto Jehovah, and rely upon him: he will bring [it] to pass; ⁶and he will bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. ⁷Rest in Jehovah, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him that prospereth in his way, because of the man that bringeth mischievous devices to pass. ⁸Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; fret not thyself: it [would be] only to do evil. ⁹For evil-doers shall be cut off; but those that wait on Jehovah, they shall possess the land. ¹⁰For yet a little while, and the wicked is not; and thou considerest his place, but he is not. ¹¹But the meek shall possess the land, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of prosperity. ¹²The wicked plotteth against the righteous, and gnasheth his teeth against him. ¹³The Lord laugheth at him; for he seeth that his day is coming. ¹⁴The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the afflicted and needy, to slay those that are upright in [the] way: ¹⁵their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. ¹⁶The little that the righteous hath is better than the abundance of many wicked; ¹⁷for the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but Jehovah upholdeth the righteous. ¹⁸Jehovah knoweth the days of the perfect; and their inheritance shall be for ever: ¹⁹they shall not be ashamed in the time of evil, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. ²⁰For the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of Jehovah shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume, like smoke shall they consume away. ²¹The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again; but the righteous is gracious and giveth: ²²for those blessed of him shall possess the land, and they that are cursed of him shall be cut off. ²³The steps of a man are established by Jehovah, and he delighteth in his way: ²⁴though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, for Jehovah upholdeth his hand. ²⁵I have been young, and now am old, and I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed seeking bread: ²⁶all the day he is gracious and lendeth, and his seed shall be a blessing. ²⁷Depart from evil, and do good, and dwell for evermore; ²⁸for Jehovah loveth judgment, and will not forsake his saints: They are preserved for ever; but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. ²⁹The righteous shall possess the land, and dwell therein for ever. ³⁰The mouth of the righteous proffereth wisdom, and his tongue speaketh judgment; ³¹the law of his God is in his heart; his goings shall not slide. ³²The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him: ³³Jehovah will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged. ³⁴Wait for Jehovah, and keep his way, and he will exalt thee to possess the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see [it]. ³⁵I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading like a green tree in its native soil: ³⁶but he passed away, and behold, he was not; and I sought him, but he was not found. ³⁷Mark the perfect, and behold the upright, for the end of [that] man is peace; ³⁸but the transgressors shall be destroyed together; the future of the wicked shall be cut off. ³⁹But the salvation of the righteous is of Jehovah: he is their strength in the time of trouble. ⁴⁰And Jehovah will help them and deliver them: he will deliver them from the wicked, and save them; for they trust in him.