Psalm 37

New Coverdale Version

Fret not yourself because of the ungodly, * neither be envious of those who are evildoers.

For they shall soon be dried up like the grass, * and be withered even as the green herb.

Put your trust in the Lord, and do good; * dwell in the land, and surely you shall be fed.

Delight yourself in the Lord, * and he shall give you your heart’s desire.

Commit your way unto the Lord and put your trust in him, * and he shall bring it to pass.

He shall make your righteousness as clear as the light * and your just dealing as the noonday.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; * do not grieve yourself over the one whose way prospers, over the one who carries out evil counsels.

Refrain from wrath, and let go of anger; * fret not yourself, lest you be moved to do evil.

For evildoers shall be rooted out, * but those who wait patiently for the Lord, they shall inherit the land.

Yet a little while, and the ungodly shall be clean gone; * you shall look for their place, and they shall not be there.

But the meek-spirited shall possess the land * and shall be refreshed with an abundance of peace.

The ungodly plot against the just * and gnash at them with their teeth.

The Lord shall laugh at them in scorn, * for he sees that their day is coming.

The ungodly have drawn out the sword and have bent their bow * to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay those who walk aright.

Their sword shall go through their own heart, * and their bow shall be broken.

The little that the righteous has * is better than great riches of the ungodly.

For the arms of the ungodly shall be broken, * but the Lord upholds the righteous.

The Lord knows the days of the godly, * and their inheritance shall endure for ever.

They shall not be confounded in perilous times, * and in the days of famine they shall have enough.

As for the ungodly, they shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be consumed as in a fiery furnace; * even as smoke shall they vanish away.

The ungodly borrow and do not repay, * but the righteous are merciful and generous.

Those who are blessed by God shall possess the land, * but those who are cursed by him shall be rooted out.

The Lord orders a man’s steps; * he makes his footsteps sure and preserves him on his path.

Though he fall, he shall not be cast down, * for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

I have been young, and now I am old, * yet I never saw the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging bread.

The righteous is ever merciful in lending, * and his seed shall be blessed.

Flee from evil, and do that which is good, * and dwell in the land for ever.

For the Lord loves that which is right; * he forsakes not those who are godly, and they are preserved for ever.

The unrighteous shall be punished; * as for the seed of the ungodly, it shall be rooted out.

The righteous shall inherit the land * and dwell therein for ever.

The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, * and his tongue talks of judgment.

The law of his God is in his heart, * and his footsteps shall not falter.

The ungodly lie in wait for the righteous * and seek occasion to slay him.

The Lord will not leave him in their hand, * nor allow him to be condemned when he is judged.

Hope in the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt you so that you shall possess the land; * when the ungodly perish, you shall see it.

I myself have seen the ungodly in great power, * and flourishing like a tree in full leaf.

I went by, and behold, they were gone; * I sought them, but their place could nowhere be found.

Mark the blameless, and take heed of the upright, * for there is a future for the peaceable.

As for the transgressors, they shall perish together, * and the end of the ungodly is that they shall be rooted out at the last.

But the salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord, * who is also their strength in the time of trouble.

And the Lord shall stand by them and save them; * he shall deliver them from the ungodly and shall save them, because they put their trust in him.