To the choirmaster. Of David, the servant of the Lord.
[37:1] Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!
[37:2] For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
[37:3] Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
[37:4] Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
[37:5] Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
[37:6] He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
[37:7] Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
[37:8] Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
[37:9] For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
[37:10] In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
[37:11] But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
[37:12] The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him,
[37:13] but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.
[37:14] The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright;
[37:15] their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
[37:16] Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.
[37:17] For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.
[37:18] The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever;
[37:19] they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance.
[37:20] But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
[37:21] The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives;
[37:22] for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
[37:23] The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way;
[37:24] though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.
[37:25] I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.
[37:26] He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.
[37:27] Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever.
[37:28] For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
[37:29] The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.
[37:30] The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
[37:31] The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.
[37:32] The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death.
[37:33] The Lord will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
[37:34] Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
[37:35] I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
[37:36] But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found.
[37:37] Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.
[37:38] But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
[37:39] The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
[37:40] The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.