Psalms 37 to 38 : English Standard Version
He Will Not Forsake His Saints
[1]Of David.37:1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! 2For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
3Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.[2] 4Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. 6He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
7Be 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!
8Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. 9For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
10In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. 11But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
12The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, 13but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.
14The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright; 15their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
16Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked. 17For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever; 19they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance.
20But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
21The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives; 22for those blessed by the Lord[3] shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
23The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; 24though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.
25I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. 26He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.
27Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. 28For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. 29The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.
30The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. 31The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.
32The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death. 33The Lord will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
34Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
35I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree.[4] 36But he passed away,[5] and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found.
37Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. 38But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
39The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble. 40The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
[1] This psalm is an acrostic poem, each stanza beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet [2] Or and feed on faithfulness, or and find safe pasture [3] Hebrew by him [4] The identity of this tree is uncertain [5] Or But one passed by
Psalm 38
Do Not Forsake Me, O Lord
A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering.
38:1 O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath! 2For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me.
3There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. 4For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.
5My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness, 6I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning. 7For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh. 8I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart.
9O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you. 10My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me. 11My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off.
12Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long.
13But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth. 14I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes.
15But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. 16For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!”
17For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me. 18I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin. 19But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully. 20Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow after good.
21Do not forsake me, O Lord! O my God, be not far from me! 22Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!