Psalm 37:1–18 (Listen)

He Will Not Forsake His Saints

^{This psalm is an acrostic poem, each stanza beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet</note>">1} Of David.

37   Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
    be not envious of wrongdoers!
2   For they will soon fade like the grass
    and wither like the green herb.


3   Trust in the LORD, and do good;
    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.^{Or and feed on faithfulness, or and find safe pasture</note>">2}
4   Delight yourself in the LORD,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.


5   Commit your way to the LORD;
    trust in him, and he will act.
6   He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as the noonday.


7   Be 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!


8   Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
    Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9   For the evildoers shall be cut off,
    but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.


10   In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
    though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
11   But the meek shall inherit the land
    and delight themselves in abundant peace.


12   The wicked plots against the righteous
    and gnashes his teeth at him,
13   but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he sees that his day is coming.


14   The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
    to bring down the poor and needy,
    to slay those whose way is upright;
15   their sword shall enter their own heart,
    and their bows shall be broken.


16   Better is the little that the righteous has
    than the abundance of many wicked.
17   For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
    but the LORD upholds the righteous.


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

(ESV)

Psalm 37:19 –40 (37:19 –40">Listen)

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


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