By David.
37:1 Do not fret 2 when wicked men seem to succeed! 3
Do not envy evildoers!
37:2 For they will quickly dry up like grass,
and wither away like plants. 4
37:3 Trust in the Lord and do what is right!
Settle in the land and maintain your integrity! 5
37:4 Then you will take delight in the Lord, 6
and he will answer your prayers. 7
37:5 Commit your future to the Lord! 8
Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf. 9
37:6 He will vindicate you in broad daylight,
and publicly defend your just cause. 10
37:7 Wait patiently for the Lord! 11
Wait confidently 12 for him!
Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner, 13
a man who carries out wicked schemes!
37:8 Do not be angry and frustrated! 14
Do not fret! That only leads to trouble!
37:9 Wicked men 15 will be wiped out, 16
but those who rely on the Lord are the ones who will possess the land. 17
37:10 Evil men will soon disappear; 18
you will stare at the spot where they once were, but they will be gone. 19
37:11 But the oppressed will possess the land
and enjoy great prosperity. 20
37:12 Evil men plot against the godly 21
and viciously attack them. 22
37:13 The Lord laughs in disgust 23 at them,
for he knows that their day is coming. 24
37:14 Evil men draw their swords
and prepare their bows,
to bring down 25 the oppressed and needy,
and to slaughter those who are godly. 26
37:15 Their swords will pierce 27 their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
37:16 The little bit that a godly man owns is better than
the wealth of many evil men, 28
37:17 for evil men will lose their power, 29
but the Lord sustains 30 the godly.
37:18 The Lord watches over the innocent day by day 31
and they possess a permanent inheritance. 32
37:19 They will not be ashamed when hard times come; 33
when famine comes they will have enough to eat. 34
37:20 But 35 evil men will die;
the Lord’s enemies will be incinerated 36 –
they will go up in smoke. 37
37:21 Evil men borrow, but do not repay their debt,
but the godly show compassion and are generous. 38
37:22 Surely 39 those favored by the Lord 40 will possess the land,
but those rejected 41 by him will be wiped out. 42
37:23 The Lord grants success to the one
whose behavior he finds commendable. 43
37:24 Even if 44 he trips, he will not fall headlong, 45
for the Lord holds 46 his hand.
37:25 I was once young, now I am old.
I have never seen a godly man abandoned,
or his children 47 forced to search for food. 48
37:26 All day long he shows compassion and lends to others, 49
and his children 50 are blessed.
37:27 Turn away from evil! Do what is right! 51
Then you will enjoy lasting security. 52
37:28 For the Lord promotes 53 justice,
and never abandons 54 his faithful followers.
They are permanently secure, 55
but the children 56 of evil men are wiped out. 57
37:29 The godly will possess the land
and will dwell in it permanently.
37:30 The godly speak wise words
and promote justice. 58
37:31 The law of their God controls their thinking; 59
their 60 feet do not slip.
37:32 Evil men set an ambush for the godly
and try to kill them. 61
37:33 But the Lord does not surrender the godly,
or allow them to be condemned in a court of law. 62
37:34 Rely 63 on the Lord! Obey his commands! 64
Then he will permit you 65 to possess the land;
you will see the demise of evil men. 66
37:35 I have seen ruthless evil men 67
growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil. 68
37:36 But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared! 69
I looked for them, but they could not be found.
37:37 Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly! 70
For the one who promotes peace has a future. 71