Psalm 37

Do not vie with the wicked :
 or envy those that do wrong;
For they will soon wither like the grass :
 and fade away like the green leaf.
Trust in the Lord and do good :
 and you shall dwell in the land and feed in safe pastures.
Let the Lord be your delight :
 and he will grant you your heart’s desire.
Commit your way to the Lord :
 trust him, and he will act.
He will make your righteousness shine as clear as the light :
 and your innocence as the noonday.
Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him :
 do not be vexed when a man prospers,
   when he puts his evil purposes to work.
Let go of anger and abandon wrath :
 let not envy move you to do evil.
For the wicked shall be cut down :
 but those who wait for the Lord shall possess the land.
In a little while the ungodly shall be no more :
 you will look for him in his place, but he will not be found.
But the meek shall possess the land :
 and enjoy the abundance of peace.
The ungodly man plots against the righteous :
 and gnashes at him with his teeth.
But the Lord shall laugh him to scorn :
 for he sees that the day for his overthrow is near.
The ungodly have drawn the sword and strung the bow :
 to strike down the poor and needy,
   to slaughter those that walk in innocence.
Their swords shall pierce their own hearts :
 and their bows shall be broken.
Though the righteous man has but a little :
 it is better than the great wealth of the ungodly.
For the strong arm of the ungodly shall be broken :
 but the Lord upholds the righteous.
The Lord cares for the lives of the innocent :
 and their heritage shall be theirs for ever.
They shall not be put to shame in the evil days :
 but in time of famine they shall eat their fill.
As for the ungodly, they shall perish,
   they are the enemies of the Lord :
 like fuel in a furnace they shall vanish away in smoke.
The ungodly man borrows but does not repay :
 but the righteous is gracious, and gives.
Those who are blessed by God shall possess the land :
 but those whom he has cursed shall be cut down.
If a man’s steps are guided by the Lord :
 and he delights in his way,
Though he stumble, he shall not fall headlong :
 for the Lord holds him by the hand.
I have been young and now am old :
 but I never saw the righteous man forsaken,
   or his children begging their bread.
He is ever gracious, and lends :
 and his children shall be blessed.
Turn from evil and do good :
 and you shall dwell in the land for ever.
For the Lord loves justice :
 he will not forsake his faithful ones.
But the unjust shall be destroyed for ever :
 and the children of the ungodly shall be cut down.
The just shall possess the land :
 and they shall dwell in it for ever.
The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom :
 and his tongue speaks what is right.
The law of his God is in his heart :
 and his footsteps will not slip.
The ungodly man watches out for the righteous :
 and seeks occasion to slay him.
But the Lord will not abandon him to his power.
Wait for the Lord, and hold to his way :
 and he will raise you up to possess the land,
   to see the ungodly when they are destroyed.
I have seen the ungodly in terrifying power :
 spreading himself like a luxuriant tree;
I passed by again, and he was gone :
 I searched for him, but he could not be found.
Observe the blameless man and consider the upright :
 for the man of peace shall have posterity.
But transgressors shall be destroyed altogether :
 and the posterity of the wicked shall be cut down.
Deliverance for the righteous shall come from the Lord :
 he is their strength in time of trouble.
The Lord will help them and deliver them :
 he will save them from the ungodly and deliver them,
   because they come to him for refuge.