37:1 By David.

Do not fret when wicked men seem to succeed.

Do not envy evildoers.

2 For they will quickly dry up like grass,

and wither away like plants.

3 Trust in the Lord and do what is right.

Settle in the land and maintain your integrity.

4 Then you will take delight in the Lord,

and he will answer your prayers.

5 Commit your future to the Lord.

Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf.

6 He will vindicate you in broad daylight,

and publicly defend your just cause.

7 Wait patiently for the Lord!

Wait confidently for him!

Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner,

a man who carries out wicked schemes.

8 Do not be angry and frustrated.

Do not fret. That only leads to trouble.

9 Wicked men will be wiped out,

but those who rely on the Lord are the ones who will possess the land.

10 Evil men will soon disappear;

you will stare at the spot where they once were, but they will be gone.

11 But the oppressed will possess the land

and enjoy great prosperity.

12 Evil men plot against the godly

and viciously attack them.

13 The Lord laughs in disgust at them,

for he knows that their day is coming.

14 Evil men draw their swords

and prepare their bows,

to bring down the oppressed and needy,

and to slaughter those who are godly.

15 Their swords will pierce their own hearts,

and their bows will be broken.

16 The little bit that a godly man owns is better than

the wealth of many evil men,

17 for evil men will lose their power,

but the Lord sustains the godly.

18 The Lord watches over the innocent day by day,

and they possess a permanent inheritance.

19 They will not be ashamed when hard times come;

when famine comes they will have enough to eat.

20 But evil men will die;

the Lord’s enemies will be incinerated—

they will go up in smoke.

21 Evil men borrow, but do not repay their debt,

but the godly show compassion and are generous.

22 Surely those favored by the Lord will possess the land,

but those rejected by him will be wiped out.

23 The Lord grants success to the one

whose behavior he finds commendable.

24 Even if he trips, he will not fall headlong,

for the Lord holds his hand.

25 I was once young, now I am old.

I have never seen the godly abandoned,

or their children forced to search for food.

26 All day long they show compassion and lend to others,

and their children are blessed.

27 Turn away from evil. Do what is right.

Then you will enjoy lasting security.

28 For the Lord promotes justice,

and never abandons his faithful followers.

They are permanently secure,

but the children of the wicked are wiped out.

29 The godly will possess the land

and will dwell in it permanently.

30 The godly speak wise words

and promote justice.

31 The law of their God controls their thinking;

their feet do not slip.

32 The wicked set an ambush for the godly

and try to kill them.

33 But the Lord does not surrender the godly,

or allow them to be condemned in a court of law.

34 Rely on the Lord. Obey his commands.

Then he will permit you to possess the land;

you will see the demise of the wicked.

35 I have seen ruthless, wicked people

growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil.

36 But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared.

I looked for them, but they could not be found.

37 Take note of the one who has integrity. Observe the upright.

For the one who promotes peace has a future.

38 Sinful rebels are totally destroyed;

the wicked have no future.

39 But the Lord delivers the godly;

he protects them in times of trouble.

40 The Lord helps them and rescues them;

he rescues them from the wicked and delivers them,

for they seek his protection.

The Scriptures quoted are from the NET Bible® copyright © 1996, 2019, used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.