Psalm 37

AMP

Psalm 37

Security of Those Who Trust in the Lord , and Insecurity of the Wicked.

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^(a)Do not worry because of evildoers,

Nor be envious toward wrongdoers;
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For they will wither quickly like the grass,
And fade like the green herb.

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Trust [rely on and have confidence] in the Lord and do good;
Dwell in the land and feed [securely] on His faithfulness.

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Delight yourself in the Lord,
And He will give you the desires and petitions of your heart.

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Commit your way to the Lord;
Trust in Him also and He will do it.

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He will make your righteousness [your pursuit of right standing with God] like the light,
And your judgment like [the shining of] the noonday [sun].

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Be still before the Lord; wait patiently for Him and entrust yourself to Him;
Do not fret (whine, agonize) because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.

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Cease from anger and abandon wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evil.

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For those who do evil will be cut off,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.^(A)

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For yet a little while and the wicked one will be gone [forever];
Though you look carefully where he used to be, he will not be [found].^(B)

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But the humble will [at last] inherit the land
And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity and peace.^(C)

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The wicked plots against the righteous
And gnashes at him with his teeth.

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The Lord laughs at him [the wicked one—the one who oppresses the righteous],
For He sees that his day [of defeat] is coming.

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The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow
To cast down the afflicted and the needy,
To slaughter those who are upright in conduct [those with personal integrity and godly character].

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The sword [of the ungodly] will enter their own heart,
And their bow will be broken.

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Better is the little of the righteous [who seek the will of God]
Than the abundance (riches) of many wicked (godless).^(D)

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For the arms of the wicked will be broken,
But the Lord upholds and sustains the righteous [who seek Him].

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The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
And their inheritance will continue forever.

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They will not be ^(b)ashamed in the time of evil,
And in the days of famine they will have plenty and be satisfied.

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But the wicked (ungodly) will perish,
And the enemies of the Lord will be like the ^(c)glory of the pastures and like the fat of lambs [that is consumed in smoke],
They vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

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The wicked borrows and does not pay back,
But the righteous is gracious and kind and gives.

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For those blessed by God will [at last] inherit the land,
But those cursed by Him will be cut off.^(E)

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The steps of a [good and righteous] man are directed and established by the Lord,
And He delights in his way [and blesses his path].

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When he falls, he will not be hurled down,
Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand and sustains him.

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I have been young and now I am old,
Yet I have not seen the righteous (those in right standing with God) abandoned
Or his descendants pleading for bread.

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All day long he is gracious and lends,
And his descendants are a blessing.

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Depart from evil and do good;
And you will dwell [securely in the land] forever.

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For the Lord delights in justice
And does not abandon His saints (faithful ones);
They are preserved forever,
But the descendants of the wicked will [in time] be cut off.

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The righteous will inherit the land
And live in it forever.

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The mouth of the righteous proclaims wisdom,
And his tongue speaks justice and truth.

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The law of his God is in his heart;
Not one of his steps will slip.

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The wicked lies in wait for the righteous
And seeks to kill him.

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The Lord will not leave him in his hand
Or let him be condemned when he is judged.

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Wait for and expect the Lord and keep His way,
And He will exalt you to inherit the land;
[In the end] when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

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I have seen a wicked, violent man [with great power]
Spreading and flaunting himself like a cedar in its native soil,

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Yet he passed away, and lo, he was no more;
I sought him, but he could not be found.

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Mark the blameless man [who is spiritually complete], and behold the upright [who walks in moral integrity];
There is a [good] future for the man of peace [because a life of honor blesses one’s descendants].

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As for transgressors, they will be completely destroyed;
The future of the wicked will be cut off.

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But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
He is their refuge and stronghold in the time of trouble.

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The Lord helps them and rescues them;
He rescues them from the wicked and saves them,
Because they take refuge in Him.

Footnotes:

a. Psalm 37:1: One of the longer psalms, Ps 37 also has the distinction of having every other verse (sometimes succeeding verses) begin with a letter of the Hebrew in alphabetical order. This technique served as a memory aid.

b. Psalm 37:19: I.e. have their expectations in Your goodness be disappointed.

c. Psalm 37:20: I.e. flowers.

Cross references:

B. Psalm 37:10: Hebrews 10:36; Hebrews 10:37; Revelation 21:7; Revelation 21:8

C. Psalm 37:11: Psalm 37:29; Matthew 5:5

D. Psalm 37:16: 1 Timothy 6:6; 1 Timothy 6:7