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Psalms 37

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[1]David exhorteth to a patient and humble trust in God, in full assurance of an happy issue to the righteous, and of the shortlived prosperity of the wicked.

A Psalm of David.

1. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

2. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

3. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

4. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

5. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

6. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

7. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

8. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

9. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

10. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

11. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

12. The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

13. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

14. The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.

15. Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

16. A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.

17. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.

18. The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.

19. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

20. But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.

21. The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.

22. For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.

23. The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

24. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

25. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

26. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.

27. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.

28. For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

29. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.

30. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.

31. The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.

32. The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.

33. The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.

34. Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

35. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.

36. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

37. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

38. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.

39. But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.

40. And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

Metrical version

Psalm 37

C.M. St. James

For evildoers fret thou not
thyself unquietly;
Nor do thou envy bear to those
that work iniquity.

For, even like unto the grass,
soon be cut down shall they;
And, like the green and tender herb,
they wither shall away.

Set thou thy trust upon the LORD,
and be thou doing good;
And so thou in the land shalt dwell,
and verily have food.

Delight thyself in GOD; he'll give
thine heart's desire to thee.
Thy way to GOD commit, him trust,
it bring to pass shall he.

And, like unto the light, he shall
thy righteousness display;
And he thy judgment shall bring forth
like noon-tide of the day.

Rest in the LORD, and patiently
wait for him: do not fret
For him who, prosp'ring in his way,
success in sin doth get.

Do thou from anger cease, and wrath
see thou forsake also:
Fret not thyself in any wise,
that evil thou should'st do.

For those that evildoers are
shall be cut off and fall:
But those that wait upon the LORD
the earth inherit shall.

For yet a little while, and then
the wicked shall not be;
His place thou shalt consider well,
but it thou shalt not see.

But by inheritance the earth
the meek ones shall possess:
They also shall delight themselves
in an abundant peace.

The wicked plots against the just,
and at him whets his teeth:
The Lord shall laugh at him, because
his day he coming seeth.

The wicked have drawn out the sword,
and bent their bow, to slay
The poor and needy, and to kill
men of an upright way.

But their own sword, which they have drawn,
shall enter their own heart:
Their bows which they have bent shall break,
and into pieces part.

A little that a just man hath
is more and better far
Than is the wealth of many such
as lewd and wicked are.

For sinners' arms shall broken be;
but GOD the just sustains.
GOD knows the just man's days, and still
their heritage remains.

They shall not be ashamed when they
the evil time do see;
And when the days of famine are,
they satisfied shall be.

But wicked men, and foes of GOD,
as fat of lambs, decay;
They shall consume, yea, into smoke
they shall consume away.

The wicked borrows, but the same
again he doth not pay;
Whereas the righteous mercy shows,
and gives his own away.

For such as blessed be of him
the earth inherit shall;
And they that cursed are of him
shall be destroyed all.

A good man's footsteps by the LORD
are ordered aright;
And in the way wherein he walks
he greatly doth delight.

Although he fall, yet shall he not
be cast down utterly,
Because the LORD with his own hand
upholds him mightily.

I have been young, and now am old,
yet have I never seen
The just man left, nor that his seed
for bread have beggars been.

He's ever merciful, and lends:
his seed is blessed therefore.
Depart from evil, and do good,
and dwell for evermore.

For GOD loves judgment, and his saints
leaves not in any case;
They are kept ever; but cut off
shall be the sinner's face.

The just inherit shall the land,
and ever in it dwell:
The just man's mouth doth wisdom speak;
his tongue doth judgment tell.

In 's heart the law is of his God,
his steps slide not away.
The wicked man doth watch the just,
and seeketh him to slay.

Yet him the LORD will not forsake,
nor leave him in his hands:
The righteous will he not condemn,
when he in judgment stands.

Wait on the LORD, and keep his way,
and thee exalt shall he
Th' earth to inherit; when cut off
the wicked thou shalt see.

I saw the wicked great in power,
spread like a green bay-tree:
He passed, yea, was not; him I sought,
but found he could not be.

Mark thou the perfect, and behold
the man of uprightness,
Because that surely of this man
the latter end is peace.

But those men that transgressors are
shall be destroyed together;
The latter end of wicked men
shall be cut off for ever.

But the salvation of the just
is from the LORD above;
He in the time of their distress
their stay and strength doth prove.

The LORD shall help, and them deliver:
he shall them free and save
From wicked men, because in him
their confidence they have.
This psalm is wholly of the instructive kind. As the Mosaic system, and the covenant between God and Israel, as his peculiar people, promised remarkable temporal felicity to such as were obedient to the law, and denounced temporal miseries against those that were impious and profane; so the psalmist here cautions against stumbling at particular providences, which might appear contrary to the tenour of that covenant. Here are, (1.) Plain and express warnings against fretfulness at the prosperity of the wicked, in their wickedness, ver. 1, 7-8; with the arguments and reasons enforcing the same, viz. that the character of the wicked is ignominious, while that of the righteous is honourable, ver. 12, 14, 21, 26, 30-32; that the wicked, in the very height of their prosperity, are near to destruction, while the righteous, even in their adversity, have special protection from God, and shall never be ruined, ver. 2, 9-10, 13, 15, 17, 20, 28, 33-40; and that God hath special blessings in store for, and even in this life manifests distinguished kindness to, the righteous and their seed, ver. 11, 16, 18-19, 22-25, 28-29, 37. (2.) Here are proper and effectual remedies to prevent sinful fretting at the prosperity of the wicked, or troubles of the godly, viz. hoping in God as our Saviour; delighting in God as our companion, friend and portion; following him as our guide; departing from evil and doing good; waiting on the Lord, and keeping his way, ver. 3-6, 27, 34.


Be thou, my soul, an accurate observer, of the matter and circumstances of every providence. Carefully compare them one with another; and all with perfections, covenant, and promises of God; in order that thou mayest never be offended thereat.