Psalm 37:1-Psalm 38:1 - Instruction In Wisdom

¹ Davidic.Do not be agitated by evildoers;
do not envy those who do wrong.
² For they wither quickly like grass
and wilt like tender green plants.

³ Trust in the Lord and do what is good;
dwell in the land and live securely.
⁴ Take delight in the Lord,
and He will give you your heart’s desires.

⁵ Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in Him, and He will act,
⁶ making your righteousness shine like the dawn,
your justice like the noonday.

⁷ Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him;
do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way,
by the man who carries out evil plans.

⁸ Refrain from anger and give up your rage;
do not be agitated—it can only bring harm.
⁹ For evildoers will be destroyed,
but those who put their hope in the Lord
will inherit the land.

¹⁰ A little while, and the wicked person will be no more;
though you look for him, he will not be there.
¹¹ But the humble will inherit the land
and will enjoy abundant prosperity. ¹² The wicked person schemes against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him.
¹³ The Lord laughs at him
because He sees that his day is coming.

¹⁴ The wicked have drawn the sword and strung the bow
to bring down the afflicted and needy
and to slaughter those whose way is upright.
¹⁵ Their swords will enter their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.

¹⁶ The little that the righteous man has is better
than the abundance of many wicked people.
¹⁷ For the arms of the wicked will be broken,
but the Lord supports the righteous.

¹⁸ The Lord watches over the blameless all their days,
and their inheritance will last forever.
¹⁹ They will not be disgraced in times of adversity;
they will be satisfied in days of hunger.

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.

²¹ The wicked man borrows and does not repay,
but the righteous one is gracious and giving.
²² Those who are blessed by Him will inherit the land,
but those cursed by Him will be destroyed.

²³ A man’s steps are established by the Lord,
and He takes pleasure in his way.
²⁴ Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed,
because the Lord holds his hand.

²⁵ I have been young and now I am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned
or his children begging for bread.
²⁶ He is always generous, always lending,
and his children are a blessing.

²⁷ Turn away from evil and do what is good,
and dwell there forever.
²⁸ For the Lord loves justice
and will not abandon His faithful ones.
They are kept safe forever,
but the children of the wicked will be destroyed.
²⁹ The righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it permanently.

³⁰ The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom;
his tongue speaks what is just.
³¹ The instruction of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not falter.

³² The wicked one lies in wait for the righteous
and seeks to kill him;
³³ the Lord will not leave him
in the power of the wicked one
or allow him to be condemned when he is judged.

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.

³⁵ I have seen a wicked, violent man
well-rooted like a flourishing native tree.
³⁶ Then I passed by and noticed he was gone;
I searched for him, but he could not be found.

³⁷ Watch the blameless and observe the upright,
for the man of peace will have a future.
³⁸ But transgressors will all be eliminated;
the future of the wicked will be destroyed.

³⁹ The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord,
their refuge in a time of distress.
⁴⁰ The Lord helps and delivers them;
He will deliver them from the wicked and will save them
because they take refuge in Him.

¹ A Davidic psalm for remembrance.Lord, do not punish me in Your anger
or discipline me in Your wrath.