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Psalm 37
Easy-to-Read Version
Psalm 37
Easy-to-Read Version
[a] A song of David.
37 Don’t get upset about evil people.
Don’t be jealous of those who do wrong.
2 They are like grass and other green plants
that dry up quickly and then die.
3 So trust in the Lord and do good.
Live on your land and be dependable.[b]
4 Enjoy serving the Lord,
and he will give you whatever you ask for.
5 Depend on the Lord.
Trust in him, and he will help you.
6 He will make it as clear as day that you are right.
Everyone will see that you are being fair.
7 Trust in the Lord and wait quietly for his help.
Don’t be angry when people make evil plans and succeed.
8 Don’t become so angry and upset that you, too, want to do evil.
9 The wicked will be destroyed,
but those who call to the Lord for help will get the land he promised.
10 In a short time there will be no more evil people.
You can look for them all you want, but they will be gone.
11 Humble people will get the land God promised,
and they will enjoy peace.
12 The wicked plan bad things for those who are good.
They show their teeth in anger at them.
13 But our Lord will laugh at them.
He will make sure they get what they deserve.
14 The wicked draw their swords to kill the poor and the helpless.
They aim their arrows to murder all who live right.
15 But their bows will break,
and their swords will pierce their own hearts.
16 A few good people are better
than a large crowd of those who are evil.
17 The wicked will be destroyed,
but the Lord cares for those who are good.
18 The Lord protects pure people all their life.
Their reward will continue forever.
19 When trouble comes,
good people will not be destroyed.
When times of hunger come,
good people will have plenty to eat.
20 But evil people are the Lord’s enemies,
and they will be destroyed.
Their valleys will dry up and burn.
They will be destroyed completely.
21 The wicked borrow money and never pay it back.
But good people are kind and generous.
22 Everyone the Lord blesses will get the land he promised.
Everyone he curses will be destroyed.
23 The Lord shows us how we should live,
and he is pleased when he sees people living that way.
24 If they stumble, they will not fall,
because the Lord reaches out to steady them.
25 I was young, and now I am old,
but I have never seen good people left with no one to help them;
I have never seen their children begging for food.
26 They are kind and generous,
and their children are a blessing.
27 Stop doing anything evil and do good,
and you will always have a place to live.
28 The Lord loves what is right,
and he will never leave his followers without help.
He will always protect them,
but he will destroy the families of the wicked.
29 Good people will get the land God promised
and will live on it forever.
30 Those who do what is right give good advice.
Their decisions are always fair.
31 They have learned God’s teachings,
and they will never stop living right.[c]
32 The wicked are always looking for ways to kill good people.
33 But the Lord will not let the wicked defeat them.
He will not let good people be judged guilty.
34 Do what the Lord says, and wait for his help.
He will reward you and give you the land he promised.
You will see the wicked being forced to leave.
35 I once saw a wicked man who was powerful.
He was like a strong, healthy tree.
36 But then he was gone.
I looked for him, but I could not find him.
37 Be pure and honest.
Peace loving people will have many descendants.
38 But those who break the law will be destroyed completely.
And their descendants will be forced to leave the land.[d]
39 The Lord saves those who are good.
When they have troubles, he is their strength.
40 The Lord helps good people and rescues them.
They depend on him, so he rescues them from the wicked.
Footnotes
- Psalm 37:1 Psalm 37 In Hebrew, about every other verse in this psalm begins with the next letter of the alphabet.
- Psalm 37:3 be dependable Literally, “shepherd faithfulness.”
- Psalm 37:31 they … right Literally, “his steps will not slip.”
- Psalm 37:38 forced to leave the land Or “destroyed.” Literally, “cut off.”
Psalm 37
New International Version
Psalm 37
New International Version
Psalm 37[a]
Of David.
1 Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious(A) of those who do wrong;(B)
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,(C)
like green plants they will soon die away.(D)
3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land(E) and enjoy safe pasture.(F)
4 Take delight(G) in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.(H)
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him(I) and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward(J) shine like the dawn,(K)
your vindication like the noonday sun.
7 Be still(L) before the Lord
and wait patiently(M) for him;
do not fret(N) when people succeed in their ways,(O)
when they carry out their wicked schemes.(P)
8 Refrain from anger(Q) and turn from wrath;
do not fret(R)—it leads only to evil.
9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,(S)
but those who hope(T) in the Lord will inherit the land.(U)
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;(V)
though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land(W)
and enjoy peace and prosperity.(X)
12 The wicked plot(Y) against the righteous
and gnash their teeth(Z) at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.(AA)
14 The wicked draw the sword(AB)
and bend the bow(AC)
to bring down the poor and needy,(AD)
to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,(AE)
and their bows will be broken.(AF)
16 Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth(AG) of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,(AH)
but the Lord upholds(AI) the righteous.
18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,(AJ)
and their inheritance will endure forever.(AK)
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
20 But the wicked will perish:(AL)
Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.(AM)
21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;(AN)
22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses(AO) will be destroyed.(AP)
23 The Lord makes firm the steps(AQ)
of the one who delights(AR) in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,(AS)
for the Lord upholds(AT) him with his hand.
25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken(AU)
or their children begging(AV) bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;(AW)
their children will be a blessing.[b](AX)
27 Turn from evil and do good;(AY)
then you will dwell in the land forever.(AZ)
28 For the Lord loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.(BA)
Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed[c];
the offspring of the wicked will perish.(BB)
29 The righteous will inherit the land(BC)
and dwell in it forever.(BD)
30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,(BE)
and their tongues speak what is just.
31 The law of their God is in their hearts;(BF)
their feet do not slip.(BG)
32 The wicked lie in wait(BH) for the righteous,(BI)
intent on putting them to death;
33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
or let them be condemned(BJ) when brought to trial.(BK)
34 Hope in the Lord(BL)
and keep his way.(BM)
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed,(BN) you will see(BO) it.
35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing(BP) like a luxuriant native tree,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.(BQ)
Footnotes
- Psalm 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the stanzas of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
- Psalm 37:26 Or freely; / the names of their children will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or freely; / others will see that their children are blessed
- Psalm 37:28 See Septuagint; Hebrew They will be protected forever
- Psalm 37:37 Or upright; / those who seek peace will have posterity
- Psalm 37:38 Or posterity
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International
New International Version (NIV) 
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