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Psalm 37 :: Amplified Bible (AMP)

Security of Those Who Trust in the LORD, and Insecurity of the Wicked.

Psa 37:1

A Psalm of David.

[fn]Do not worry because of evildoers,

Nor be envious toward wrongdoers;

Psa 37:2

For they will wither quickly like the grass,

And fade like the green herb.

Psa 37:3

Trust [rely on and have confidence] in the LORD and do good;

Dwell in the land and feed [securely] on His faithfulness.

Psa 37:4

Delight yourself in the LORD,

And He will give you the desires and petitions of your heart.

Psa 37:5

Commit your way to the LORD;

Trust in Him also and He will do it.

Psa 37:6

He will make your righteousness [your pursuit of right standing with God] like the light,

And your judgment like [the shining of] the noonday [sun].

Psa 37:7

Be still before the LORD; wait patiently for Him and entrust yourself to Him;

Do not fret (whine, agonize) because of him who prospers in his way,

Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.

Psa 37:8

Cease from anger and abandon wrath;

Do not fret; it leads only to evil.

Psa 37:9

For those who do evil will be cut off,

But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.

Psa 37:10

For yet a little while and the wicked one will be gone [forever];

Though you look carefully where he used to be, he will not be [found].

Psa 37:11

But the humble will [at last] inherit the land

And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity and peace.

Psa 37:12

The wicked plots against the righteous

And gnashes at him with his teeth.

Psa 37:13

The Lord laughs at him [the wicked one—the one who oppresses the righteous],

For He sees that his day [of defeat] is coming.

Psa 37:14

The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow

To cast down the afflicted and the needy,

To slaughter those who are upright in conduct [those with personal integrity and godly character].

Psa 37:15

The sword [of the ungodly] will enter their own heart,

And their bow will be broken.

Psa 37:16

Better is the little of the righteous [who seek the will of God]

Than the abundance (riches) of many wicked (godless).

Psa 37:17

For the arms of the wicked will be broken,

But the LORD upholds and sustains the righteous [who seek Him].

Psa 37:18

The LORD knows the days of the blameless,

And their inheritance will continue forever.

Psa 37:19

They will not be [fn]ashamed in the time of evil,

And in the days of famine they will have plenty and be satisfied.

Psa 37:20

But the wicked (ungodly) will perish,

And the enemies of the LORD will be like the [fn]glory of the pastures and like the fat of lambs [that is consumed in smoke],

They vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

Psa 37:21

The wicked borrows and does not pay back,

But the righteous is gracious and kind and gives.

Psa 37:22

For those blessed by God will [at last] inherit the land,

But those cursed by Him will be cut off.

Psa 37:23

The steps of a [good and righteous] man are directed and established by the LORD,

And He delights in his way [and blesses his path].

Psa 37:24

When he falls, he will not be hurled down,

Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand and sustains him.

Psa 37:25

I have been young and now I am old,

Yet I have not seen the righteous (those in right standing with God) abandoned

Or his descendants pleading for bread.

Psa 37:26

All day long he is gracious and lends,

And his descendants are a blessing.

Psa 37:27

Depart from evil and do good;

And you will dwell [securely in the land] forever.

Psa 37:28

For the LORD delights in justice

And does not abandon His saints (faithful ones);

They are preserved forever,

But the descendants of the wicked will [in time] be cut off.

Psa 37:29

The righteous will inherit the land

And live in it forever.

Psa 37:30

The mouth of the righteous proclaims wisdom,

And his tongue speaks justice and truth.

Psa 37:31

The law of his God is in his heart;

Not one of his steps will slip.

Psa 37:32

The wicked lies in wait for the righteous

And seeks to kill him.

Psa 37:33

The LORD will not leave him in his hand

Or let him be condemned when he is judged.

Psa 37:34

Wait for and expect the LORD and keep His way,

And He will exalt you to inherit the land;

[In the end] when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

Psa 37:35

I have seen a wicked, violent man [with great power]

Spreading and flaunting himself like a cedar in its native soil,

Psa 37:36

Yet he passed away, and lo, he was no more;

I sought him, but he could not be found.

Psa 37:37

Mark the blameless man [who is spiritually complete], and behold the upright [who walks in moral integrity];

There is a [good] future for the man of peace [because a life of honor blesses one’s descendants].

Psa 37:38

As for transgressors, they will be completely destroyed;

The future of the wicked will be cut off.

Psa 37:39

But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;

He is their refuge and stronghold in the time of trouble.

Psa 37:40

The LORD helps them and rescues them;

He rescues them from the wicked and saves them,

Because they take refuge in Him.

AMP Footnotes
One of the longer psalms, Ps 37 also has the distinction of having every other verse (sometimes succeeding verses) begin with a letter of the Hebrew in alphabetical order. This technique served as a memory aid.
I.e. have their expectations in Your goodness be disappointed.
I.e. flowers.
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Psalm Chapter 37 — Additional Translations: