Psalm 37 :: New King James Version (NKJV)

The Heritage of the Righteous and the Calamity of the Wicked

Psa 37:1

Psa 37:1A Psalm of David.

Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.

Psa 37:2

Psa 37:2For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.

Psa 37:3

Psa 37:3Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

Psa 37:4

Psa 37:4Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Psa 37:5

Psa 37:5Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.

Psa 37:6

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

Psa 37:7

Psa 37:7Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

Psa 37:8

Psa 37:8Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret—it only causes harm.

Psa 37:9

Psa 37:9For evildoers shall be cut off;
But those who wait on the LORD,
They shall inherit the earth.

Psa 37:10

Psa 37:10For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,
But it shall be no more.

Psa 37:11

Psa 37:11But the meek shall inherit the earth,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Psa 37:12

Psa 37:12The wicked plots against the just,
And gnashes at him with his teeth.

Psa 37:13

Psa 37:13The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees that his day is coming.

Psa 37:14

Psa 37:14The wicked have drawn the sword
And have bent their bow,
To cast down the poor and needy,
To slay those who are of upright conduct.

Psa 37:15

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

Psa 37:16

Psa 37:16A little that a righteous man has
Is better than the riches 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 upright,
And their inheritance shall be forever.

Psa 37:19

Psa 37:19They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,
And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

Psa 37:20

Psa 37:20But the wicked shall perish;
And the enemies of the LORD,
Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish.
Into smoke they shall vanish away.

Psa 37:21

Psa 37:21The wicked borrows and does not repay,
But the righteous shows mercy and gives.

Psa 37:22

Psa 37:22For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth,
But those cursed by Him shall be cut off.

Psa 37:23

Psa 37:23The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD,
And He delights in his way.

Psa 37:24

Psa 37:24Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For the LORD upholds him with His hand.

Psa 37:25

Psa 37:25I have been young, and now am old;
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
Nor his descendants begging bread.

Psa 37:26

Psa 37:26He is ever merciful, and lends;
And his descendants are blessed.

Psa 37:27

Psa 37:27Depart from evil, and do good;
And dwell forevermore.

Psa 37:28

Psa 37:28For the LORD loves justice,
And does not forsake His saints;
They are preserved forever,
But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.

Psa 37:29

Psa 37:29The righteous shall inherit the land,
And dwell in it forever.

Psa 37:30

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

Psa 37:31

Psa 37:31The law of his God is in his heart;
None of his steps shall slide.

Psa 37:32

Psa 37:32The wicked watches the righteous,
And seeks to slay him.

Psa 37:33

Psa 37:33The LORD will not leave him in his hand,
Nor condemn him when he is judged.

Psa 37:34

Psa 37:34Wait on the LORD,
And keep His way,
And He shall exalt you to inherit the land;
When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.

Psa 37:35

Psa 37:35I have seen the wicked in great power,
And spreading himself like a native green tree.

Psa 37:36

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

Psa 37:37

Psa 37:37Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright;
For the future of that man is peace.

Psa 37:38

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

Psa 37:39

Psa 37:39But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
He is their strength in the time of trouble.

Psa 37:40

Psa 37:40And the LORD shall help them and deliver them;
He shall deliver them from the wicked,
And save them,
Because they trust in Him.

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

NKJV Footnotes

(37:36)

Following Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and Targum; Syriac and Vulgate read I passed by.

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