Psalms 37

The Hebrew Bible

37Of David.

Do not be vexed by evil men;

do not be incensed by wrongdoers;

2for they soon wither like grass,

like verdure fade away.

3Trust in the Lord and do good,

abide in the land and remain loyal.

4Seek the favor of the Lord,

and He will grant you the desires of your heart.

5Leave all to the Lord;

trust in Him; He will do it.

6He will cause your vindication to shine forth like the light,

the justice of your case, like the noonday sun.

7Be patient and wait for the Lord,

do not be vexed by the prospering man

who carries out his schemes.

8Give up anger, abandon fury,

do not be vexed;

it can only do harm.

9For evil men will be cut off,

but those who look to the Lord—

they shall inherit the land.

10A little longer and there will be no wicked man;

you will look at where he was—

he will be gone.

11But the lowly shall inherit the land,

and delight in abundant well-being.

12The wicked man schemes against the righteous,

and gnashes his teeth at him.

13The Lord laughs at him,

for He knows that his day will come.

14The wicked draw their swords, bend their bows,

to bring down the lowly and needy,

to slaughter upright men.

15Their swords shall pierce their own hearts,

and their bows shall be broken.

16Better the little that the righteous man has

than the great abundance of the wicked.

17For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,

but the Lord is the support of the righteous.

 

18The Lord is concerned for the needs of the blameless;

their portion lasts forever;

19they shall not come to grief in bad times;

in famine, they shall eat their fill.

20But the wicked shall perish,

and the enemies of the Lord shall be consumed,

like meadow grass consumed in smoke.

21The wicked man borrows and does not repay;

the righteous is generous and keeps giving.

22Those blessed by Him shall inherit the land,

but those cursed by Him shall be cut off.

23The steps of a man are made firm by the Lord,

when He delights in his way.

24Though he stumbles, he does not fall down,

for the Lord gives him support.

25I have been young and am now old,

but I have never seen a righteous man abandoned,

or his children seeking bread.

26He is always generous, and lends,

and his children are held blessed.

27Shun evil and do good,

and you shall abide forever.

28For the Lord loves what is right,

He does not abandon His faithful ones.

They are preserved forever,

while the children of the wicked will be cut off.

29The righteous shall inherit the land,

and abide forever in it.

30The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,

and his tongue speaks what is right.

31The teaching of his God is in his heart;

his feet do not slip.

32The wicked watches for the righteous,

seeking to put him to death;

33the Lord will not abandon him to his power;

He will not let him be condemned in judgment.

34Look to the Lord and keep to His way,

and He will raise you high that you may inherit the land;

when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.

35I saw a wicked man, powerful,

well-rooted like a robust native tree.

36Suddenly he vanished and was gone;

I sought him, but he was not to be found.

37Mark the blameless, note the upright,

for there is a future for the man of integrity.

38But transgressors shall be utterly destroyed,

the future of the wicked shall be cut off.

39The deliverance of the righteous comes from the Lord,

their stronghold in time of trouble.

40The Lord helps them and rescues them,

rescues them from the wicked and delivers them,

for they seek refuge in Him.

Tanakh, The Holy Scriptures, (Philadelphia, Jerusalem- Jewish Publication Society) 1985.