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Psalm 37
New International Version

### Psalm 37[a]

#### Of David.

1 Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious(A) of those who do wrong;(B)
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,(C)
like green plants they will soon die away.(D)

3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land(E) and enjoy safe pasture.(F)
4 Take delight(G) in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.(H)

5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him(I) and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward(J) shine like the dawn,(K)
your vindication like the noonday sun.

7 Be still(L) before the Lord
and wait patiently(M) for him;
do not fret(N) when people succeed in their ways,(O)
when they carry out their wicked schemes.(P)

8 Refrain from anger(Q) and turn from wrath;
do not fret(R)—it leads only to evil.
9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,(S)
but those who hope(T) in the Lord will inherit the land.(U)

10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;(V)
though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land(W)
and enjoy peace and prosperity.(X)

12 The wicked plot(Y) against the righteous
and gnash their teeth(Z) at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.(AA)

14 The wicked draw the sword(AB)
and bend the bow(AC)
to bring down the poor and needy,(AD)
to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,(AE)
and their bows will be broken.(AF)

16 Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth(AG) of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,(AH)
but the Lord upholds(AI) the righteous.

18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,(AJ)
and their inheritance will endure forever.(AK)
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20 But the wicked will perish:(AL)
Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.(AM)

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;(AN)
22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses(AO) will be destroyed.(AP)

23 The Lord makes firm the steps(AQ)
of the one who delights(AR) in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,(AS)
for the Lord upholds(AT) him with his hand.

25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken(AU)
or their children begging(AV) bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;(AW)
their children will be a blessing.[b](AX)

27 Turn from evil and do good;(AY)
then you will dwell in the land forever.(AZ)
28 For the Lord loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.(BA)

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed[c];
the offspring of the wicked will perish.(BB)
29 The righteous will inherit the land(BC)
and dwell in it forever.(BD)

30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,(BE)
and their tongues speak what is just.
31 The law of their God is in their hearts;(BF)
their feet do not slip.(BG)

32 The wicked lie in wait(BH) for the righteous,(BI)
intent on putting them to death;
33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
or let them be condemned(BJ) when brought to trial.(BK)

34 Hope in the Lord(BL)
and keep his way.(BM)
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed,(BN) you will see(BO) it.

35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing(BP) like a luxuriant native tree,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.(BQ)

37 Consider the blameless,(BR) observe the upright;(BS)
a future awaits those who seek peace.[d](BT)
38 But all sinners(BU) will be destroyed;(BV)
there will be no future[e] for the wicked.(BW)

39 The salvation(BX) of the righteous comes from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.(BY)
40 The Lord helps(BZ) them and delivers(CA) them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves(CB) them,
because they take refuge(CC) in him.

#### Footnotes

1. Psalm 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the stanzas of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
2. Psalm 37:26 Or freely; / the names of their children will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or freely; / others will see that their children are blessed
3. Psalm 37:28 See Septuagint; Hebrew They will be protected forever
4. Psalm 37:37 Or upright; / those who seek peace will have posterity
5. Psalm 37:38 Or posterity

#### Cross references

1. Psalm 37:1 : Pr 3:31; 23:17-18
2. Psalm 37:1 : Ps 73:3; Pr 24:19
3. Psalm 37:2 : S 2Ki 19:26; Job 14:2; Ps 102:4; Isa 40:7
4. Psalm 37:2 : ver 38; Ps 90:6; 92:7; Jas 1:10
5. Psalm 37:3 : Dt 30:20
6. Psalm 37:3 : Eze 34:14; Jn 10:9
7. Psalm 37:4 : S Job 27:10
8. Psalm 37:4 : S Job 7:6; Ps 21:2; 145:19; Mt 6:33
9. Psalm 37:5 : Ps 4:5
10. Psalm 37:6 : Ps 18:24; 103:17; 112:3
11. Psalm 37:6 : S Job 11:17
12. Psalm 37:7 : S Ex 14:14; S Isa 41:1
13. Psalm 37:7 : S Ps 27:14; 40:1; 130:5; Isa 38:13; Hab 3:16; Ro 8:25
14. Psalm 37:7 : ver 1
15. Psalm 37:7 : Jer 12:1
16. Psalm 37:7 : Ps 21:11; 26:10; 119:150
17. Psalm 37:8 : Eph 4:31; Col 3:8
18. Psalm 37:8 : ver 1
19. Psalm 37:9 : S Ps 31:22; 101:8; 118:10; Pr 2:22
20. Psalm 37:9 : Isa 25:9; 26:8; 40:31; 49:23; 51:5
21. Psalm 37:9 : ver 22; Ps 25:13; Isa 49:8; 57:13; Mt 5:5
22. Psalm 37:10 : S Job 7:10; Eze 27:36
23. Psalm 37:11 : S Nu 14:24; Mt 5:5
24. Psalm 37:11 : S Lev 26:6; S Nu 6:26
25. Psalm 37:12 : Ps 2:1; 31:13
26. Psalm 37:12 : S Job 16:9; Ps 35:16; 112:10
27. Psalm 37:13 : 1Sa 26:10; Eze 12:23
28. Psalm 37:14 : S Ps 22:20
29. Psalm 37:14 : Ps 11:2
30. Psalm 37:14 : S Ps 35:10
31. Psalm 37:15 : S Ps 9:16
32. Psalm 37:15 : S 1Sa 2:4; Ps 46:9; Jer 49:35
33. Psalm 37:16 : Pr 15:16; 16:8
34. Psalm 37:17 : Job 38:15; Ps 10:15
35. Psalm 37:17 : Ps 41:12; 140:12; 145:14; 146:7
36. Psalm 37:18 : S Job 23:10; Ps 44:21
37. Psalm 37:18 : ver 27, 29
38. Psalm 37:20 : S Ps 34:21
39. Psalm 37:20 : Ps 68:2; 102:3; Isa 51:6
40. Psalm 37:21 : S Lev 25:35; Ps 112:5
41. Psalm 37:22 : S Job 5:3
42. Psalm 37:22 : ver 9
43. Psalm 37:23 : S Job 11:15; S Ps 7:9; 66:9
44. Psalm 37:23 : S Nu 14:8; Ps 147:11
45. Psalm 37:24 : S Ps 13:4; 27:2; 38:17; 55:22; 119:165; Pr 3:23; 10:9
46. Psalm 37:24 : 2Ch 9:8; Ps 41:12; 145:14
47. Psalm 37:25 : ver 28; S Ge 15:1; Heb 13:5
48. Psalm 37:25 : Ps 111:5; 145:15; Mk 10:46
49. Psalm 37:26 : S Lev 25:35
50. Psalm 37:26 : Dt 28:4; Ps 112:2
51. Psalm 37:27 : Ps 34:14; 3Jn 1:11
52. Psalm 37:27 : S Nu 24:21
53. Psalm 37:28 : S Dt 7:6; S Ps 18:25; S 97:10
54. Psalm 37:28 : S Ge 17:14; S Dt 32:26; Pr 2:22
55. Psalm 37:29 : ver 9; Pr 2:21
56. Psalm 37:29 : Isa 34:17
57. Psalm 37:30 : Ps 49:3; Pr 10:13
58. Psalm 37:31 : S Dt 6:6; S Job 22:22
59. Psalm 37:31 : S Dt 32:35
60. Psalm 37:32 : S Ps 10:8
61. Psalm 37:32 : Ps 11:5
62. Psalm 37:33 : Job 32:3; Ps 34:22; 79:11
63. Psalm 37:33 : 2Pe 2:9
64. Psalm 37:34 : Ps 27:14
65. Psalm 37:34 : S Ps 18:21
66. Psalm 37:34 : ver 9
67. Psalm 37:34 : Ps 52:6
68. Psalm 37:35 : S Job 5:3
69. Psalm 37:36 : ver 10; Pr 12:7; Isa 41:12; Da 11:19
70. Psalm 37:37 : ver 18; S Ge 6:9; Ps 18:25
71. Psalm 37:37 : Ps 11:7
72. Psalm 37:37 : Isa 57:1-2
73. Psalm 37:38 : S Ps 1:1
74. Psalm 37:38 : S ver 2; Ps 73:19
75. Psalm 37:38 : ver 9
76. Psalm 37:39 : S Ps 3:8
77. Psalm 37:39 : S Ps 9:9
78. Psalm 37:40 : S 1Ch 5:20; S Ps 20:2
79. Psalm 37:40 : S Ps 34:7
80. Psalm 37:40 : S Ps 18:48
81. Psalm 37:40 : Ps 2:12

New International Version (NIV)

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