Psalm 37 :: English Standard Version (ESV)

He Will Not Forsake His Saints

Psa 37:1

Psa 37:1 [fn] Of David.
Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!

Psa 37:2

Psa 37:2For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.

Psa 37:3

Psa 37:3Trust in the LORD, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.[fn]

Psa 37:4

Psa 37:4Delight yourself in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psa 37:5

Psa 37:5Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act.

Psa 37:6

Psa 37:6He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.

Psa 37:7

Psa 37:7Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!

Psa 37:8

Psa 37:8Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

Psa 37:9

Psa 37:9For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.

Psa 37:10

Psa 37:10In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.

Psa 37:11

Psa 37:11But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.

Psa 37:12

Psa 37:12The wicked plots against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him,

Psa 37:13

Psa 37:13but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that his day is coming.

Psa 37:14

Psa 37:14The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose way is upright;

Psa 37:15

Psa 37:15their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their bows shall be broken.

Psa 37:16

Psa 37:16Better is the little that the righteous has
than the abundance of many wicked.

Psa 37:17

Psa 37:17For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.

Psa 37:18

Psa 37:18The LORD knows the days of the blameless,
and their heritage will remain forever;

Psa 37:19

Psa 37:19they are not put to shame in evil times;
in the days of famine they have abundance.

Psa 37:20

Psa 37:20But the wicked will perish;
the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

Psa 37:21

Psa 37:21The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
but the righteous is generous and gives;

Psa 37:22

Psa 37:22for those blessed by the LORD[fn] shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.

Psa 37:23

Psa 37:23The steps of a man are established by the LORD,
when he delights in his way;

Psa 37:24

Psa 37:24though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the LORD upholds his hand.

Psa 37:25

Psa 37:25I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread.

Psa 37:26

Psa 37:26He is ever lending generously,
and his children become a blessing.

Psa 37:27

Psa 37:27Turn away from evil and do good;
so shall you dwell forever.

Psa 37:28

Psa 37:28For the LORD loves justice;
he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.

Psa 37:29

Psa 37:29The righteous shall inherit the land
and dwell upon it forever.

Psa 37:30

Psa 37:30The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks justice.

Psa 37:31

Psa 37:31The law of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not slip.

Psa 37:32

Psa 37:32The wicked watches for the righteous
and seeks to put him to death.

Psa 37:33

Psa 37:33The LORD will not abandon him to his power
or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.

Psa 37:34

Psa 37:34Wait for the LORD and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on when the wicked are cut off.

Psa 37:35

Psa 37:35I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
spreading himself like a green laurel tree.[fn]

Psa 37:36

Psa 37:36But he passed away,[fn] and behold, he was no more;
though I sought him, he could not be found.

Psa 37:37

Psa 37:37Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is a future for the man of peace.

Psa 37:38

Psa 37:38But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the future of the wicked shall be cut off.

Psa 37:39

Psa 37:39The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.

Psa 37:40

Psa 37:40The LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.

See the ESV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

ESV Footnotes

(37:1)

This psalm is an acrostic poem, each stanza beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet

(37:3)

Or and feed on faithfulness, or and find safe pasture

(37:22)

Hebrew by him

(37:35)

The identity of this tree is uncertain

(37:36)

Or But one passed by

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For more information on this translation, see the ESV Preface.