37:10 Evil men will soon disappear; 1
you will stare at the spot where they once were, but they will be gone. 2
37:11 But the oppressed will possess the land
and enjoy great prosperity. 3
37:12 Evil men plot against the godly 4
and viciously attack them. 5
37:13 The Lord laughs in disgust 6 at them,
for he knows that their day is coming. 7
37:14 Evil men draw their swords
and prepare their bows,
to bring down 8 the oppressed and needy,
and to slaughter those who are godly. 9
37:15 Their swords will pierce 10 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, 11
37:17 for evil men will lose their power, 12
but the Lord sustains 13 the godly.
37:18 The Lord watches over the innocent day by day 14
and they possess a permanent inheritance. 15
37:19 They will not be ashamed when hard times come; 16
when famine comes they will have enough to eat. 17
37:20 But 18 evil men will die;
the Lord’s enemies will be incinerated 19 –
they will go up in smoke. 20
37:21 Evil men borrow, but do not repay their debt,
but the godly show compassion and are generous. 21
37:22 Surely 22 those favored by the Lord 23 will possess the land,
but those rejected 24 by him will be wiped out. 25
37:23 The Lord grants success to the one
whose behavior he finds commendable. 26
37:24 Even if 27 he trips, he will not fall headlong, 28
for the Lord holds 29 his hand.
37:25 I was once young, now I am old.
I have never seen a godly man abandoned,
or his children 30 forced to search for food. 31
37:26 All day long he shows compassion and lends to others, 32
and his children 33 are blessed.
37:27 Turn away from evil! Do what is right! 34
Then you will enjoy lasting security. 35
37:28 For the Lord promotes 36 justice,
and never abandons 37 his faithful followers.
They are permanently secure, 38
but the children 39 of evil men are wiped out. 40
37:29 The godly will possess the land
and will dwell in it permanently.
37:30 The godly speak wise words
and promote justice. 41
37:31 The law of their God controls their thinking; 42
their 43 feet do not slip.
37:32 Evil men set an ambush for the godly
and try to kill them. 44
37:33 But the Lord does not surrender the godly,
or allow them to be condemned in a court of law. 45
37:34 Rely 46 on the Lord! Obey his commands! 47
Then he will permit you 48 to possess the land;
you will see the demise of evil men. 49
37:35 I have seen ruthless evil men 50
growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil. 51
37:36 But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared! 52
I looked for them, but they could not be found.
37:37 Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly! 53
For the one who promotes peace has a future. 54
37:38 Sinful rebels are totally destroyed; 55
evil men have no future. 56
37:39 But the Lord delivers the godly; 57
he protects them in times of trouble. 58
37:40 The Lord helps them and rescues them;
he rescues them from evil men and delivers them, 59
for they seek his protection.