Psalm 37, side by side

¹Of David. Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong.

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

²For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants.

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

³Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

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

⁴Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

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

⁵Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it.

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

⁶He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn, your justice like the noonday sun.

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

⁷Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men prosper in their ways, when they carry out wicked schemes.

⁷Rest 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.

⁸Refrain from anger and abandon wrath; do not fret—it can only bring harm.

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

⁹For the evildoers will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

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

¹⁰Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.

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

¹¹But the meek will inherit the land and delight in abundant prosperity.

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

¹²The wicked scheme against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them,

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

¹³but the Lord laughs, seeing that their day is coming.

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

¹⁴The wicked have drawn the sword and bent the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.

¹⁴The 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.

¹⁵But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.

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

¹⁶Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many who are wicked.

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

¹⁷For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.

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

¹⁸The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will last forever.

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

¹⁹In the time of evil they will not be ashamed, and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.

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

²⁰But the wicked and enemies of the LORD will perish like the glory of the fields. They will vanish; like smoke they will fade away.

²⁰But 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.

²¹The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and giving.

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

²²Surely those He blesses will inherit the land, but the cursed will be destroyed.

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

²³The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey.

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

²⁴Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand.

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

²⁵I once was young and now am old, yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned or their children begging for bread.

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

²⁶They are ever generous and quick to lend, and their children are a blessing.

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

²⁷Turn away from evil and do good, so that you will abide forever.

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

²⁸For the LORD loves justice and will not forsake His saints. They are preserved forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off.

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

²⁹The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.

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

³⁰The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.

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

³¹The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter.

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

³²Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, and seek to slay them,

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

³³the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned under judgment.

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

³⁴Wait for the LORD and keep His way, and He will raise you up to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

³⁴Wait 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.

³⁵I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree,

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

³⁶yet he passed away and was no more; though I searched, he could not be found.

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

³⁷Consider the blameless and observe the upright, for posterity awaits the man of peace.

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

³⁸But the transgressors will all be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.

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

³⁹The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their stronghold in time of trouble.

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

⁴⁰The LORD helps and delivers them; He rescues and saves them from the wicked, because they take refuge in Him.

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