Psalm 37

He Will Not Forsake His Saints

1 Of David.

1
u Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not v envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon w fade like x the grass
and wither y like the green herb.

3 z Trust in the Lord, and do good;
a dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. 2
4 b Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will c give you the desires of your heart.

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

7 g Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
h fret not yourself over the one who i prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!

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

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

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

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

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

18 The Lord a knows the days of the blameless,
and their b heritage will remain forever;
19 they are not put to shame in evil times;
in c the days of famine they have abundance.

20 But the wicked will perish;
the enemies of the Lord are like d the glory of the pastures;
they vanish - like e smoke they vanish away.

21 The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
but the righteous f is generous and gives;
22 for those blessed by the Lord 3 shall g inherit the land,
but those cursed by him h shall be cut off.

23 The i steps of a man are j established by the Lord,
when he delights in his way;
24 k though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the Lord l upholds his hand.

25 I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children m begging for bread.
26 He is ever n lending generously,
and his children become a blessing.

27 o Turn away from evil and do good;
so shall you p dwell forever.
28 For the Lord q loves justice;
he will not forsake his r saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be s cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land
and p dwell upon it forever.

30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks justice.
31 t The law of his God is in his heart;
his u steps do not slip.

32 The wicked v watches for the righteous
and seeks to put him to death.
33 The Lord will not w abandon him to his power
or let him x be condemned when he is brought to trial.

34 y Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on z when the wicked are cut off.

35 a I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
spreading himself like b a green laurel tree. 4
36 But he passed away, 5 and behold, c he was no more;
though I sought him, he could not be found.

37 Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is a future for the man of d peace.
38 But e transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the future of the wicked f shall be cut off.

39 g The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in h the time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and i delivers them;
j he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they k take refuge in him.

  1. Cross References
    Psalms 37:7 - 8
    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!
    Proverbs 24:19
    Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked.
  2. Cross References
    Psalms 73:3
    For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
    Proverbs 3:31
    Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways.
    Proverbs 23:17
    Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day.
    Proverbs 24:1
    Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them.
    Proverbs 24:19
    Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked.
  3. Cross References
    Job 14:2
    He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not.
    Job 27:13 - 23
    This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty:
  4. Cross References
    Psalms 90:5 - 6
    You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning:
  5. Cross References
    Psalms 129:6
    Let them be like the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up.
  6. Cross References
    Psalms 62:8
    Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah
    Psalms 115:9 - 11
    O Israel, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.
    Proverbs 3:5
    Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
    Isaiah 26:4
    Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
  7. Cross References
    Leviticus 26:5
    Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely.
    Proverbs 2:21
    For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it.
  8. Cross References
    Job 22:26
    For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.
    Isaiah 58:14
    Then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
    Philippians 3:1
    Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
    Philippians 4:4
    Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
  9. Cross References
    Matthew 6:33
    But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
  10. Cross References
    Psalms 22:8
    "He trusts in the Lord ; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!"
    Psalms 55:22
    Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
    Proverbs 16:3
    Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
    1 Peter 5:7
    Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
  11. Cross References
    Psalms 37:3
    Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
  12. Cross References
    Isaiah 58:8
    Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
    Isaiah 58:10
    If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.
    Micah 7:9
    I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication.
  13. Cross References
    Job 11:17
    And your life will be brighter than the noonday; its darkness will be like the morning.
  14. Cross References
    Psalms 62:1
    For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.
    Isaiah 30:15
    For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." But you were unwilling.
    Lamentations 3:26
    It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
  15. Cross References
    Psalms 37:1
    Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!
  16. Cross References
    Jeremiah 12:1
    Righteous are you, O Lord, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?
  17. Cross References
    Ephesians 4:26
    Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.
  18. Cross References
    Psalms 37:7
    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!
  19. Cross References
    Psalms 37:2
    For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
    Psalms 37:22
    For those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
  20. Cross References
    Psalms 25:13
    His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land.
    Proverbs 2:21
    For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it.
    Isaiah 57:13
    When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you! The wind will carry them off, a breath will take them away. But he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land and shall inherit my holy mountain.
    Isaiah 60:21
    Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified.
  21. Cross References
    Job 24:24
    They are exalted a little while, and then are gone; they are brought low and gathered up like all others; they are cut off like the heads of grain.
  22. Cross References
    Job 7:10
    He returns no more to his house, nor does his place know him anymore.
  23. Cross References
    Matthew 5:5
    Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
  24. Cross References
    Psalms 119:165
    Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.
    Isaiah 32:17
    And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.
  25. Cross References
    Psalms 31:13
    For I hear the whispering of many - terror on every side! - as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life.
  26. Cross References
    Psalms 35:16
    Like profane mockers at a feast, they gnash at me with their teeth.
  27. Cross References
    Psalms 2:4
    He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.
  28. Cross References
    Job 18:20
    They of the west are appalled at his day, and horror seizes them of the east.
  29. Cross References
    Psalms 7:12
    If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow.
  30. Cross References
    Psalms 7:10
    My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.
  31. Cross References
    1 Samuel 2:4
    The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength.
  32. Cross References
    Proverbs 15:16
    Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it.
    Proverbs 16:8
    Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.
    1 Timothy 6:6
    Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment.
  33. Cross References
    Psalms 10:15
    Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call his wickedness to account till you find none.
    Job 38:15
    From the wicked their light is withheld, and their uplifted arm is broken.
    Ezekiel 30:21 - 22
    Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and behold, it has not been bound up, to heal it by binding it with a bandage, so that it may become strong to wield the sword.
  34. Cross References
    Psalms 37:24
    Though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.
  35. Cross References
    Psalms 1:6
    For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
  36. Cross References
    Psalms 37:9
    For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
  37. Cross References
    Psalms 33:19
    That he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.
    Job 5:20
    In famine he will redeem you from death, and in war from the power of the sword.
  38. Cross References
    Matthew 6:30
    But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
    James 1:11
    For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
  39. Cross References
    Psalms 68:2
    As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away; as wax melts before fire, so the wicked shall perish before God!
    Psalms 102:3
    For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace.
    Hosea 13:3
    Therefore they shall be like the morning mist or like the dew that goes early away, like the chaff that swirls from the threshing floor or like smoke from a window.
  40. Cross References
    Psalms 37:26
    He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.
  41. Cross References
    Psalms 37:9
    For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
  42. Cross References
    Psalms 37:2
    For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
  43. Cross References
    Psalms 25:12
    Who is the man who fears the Lord ? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
    1 Samuel 2:9
    He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail.
  44. Cross References
    Psalms 40:2
    He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.
    Psalms 119:5
    Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!
  45. Cross References
    Proverbs 24:16
    For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.
    Micah 7:8
    Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.
    2 Corinthians 4:9
    Persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.
  46. Cross References
    Psalms 37:17
    For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.
  47. Cross References
    Psalms 109:10
    May his children wander about and beg, seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!
    Job 15:23
    He wanders abroad for bread, saying, 'Where is it?' He knows that a day of darkness is ready at his hand.
  48. Cross References
    Psalms 112:5
    It is well with the man who deals generously an...
    Psalms 112:9
    He has distributed freely; he has given to the ...
    Deuteronomy 15:8
    But you shall open your hand to him and lend hi...
    Deuteronomy 15:10
    You shall give to him freely, and your heart sh...
    Matthew 5:42
    Give to the one who begs from you, and do not r...
    Luke 6:35
    But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, e...
  49. Cross References
    Psalms 34:14
    Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
  50. Cross References
    Psalms 102:28
    The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you.
  51. Cross References
    Psalms 11:7
    For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.
  52. Cross References
    Psalms 16:10
    For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.
  53. Cross References
    Psalms 37:2
    For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
    Psalms 37:9
    For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
    Psalms 21:10
    You will destroy their descendants from the earth, and their offspring from among the children of man.
    Proverbs 2:22
    But the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.
    Isaiah 14:20
    You will not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land, you have slain your people. "May the offspring of evildoers nevermore be named!
  54. Cross References
    Psalms 37:27
    Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever.
  55. Cross References
    Psalms 40:8
    I delight to do your will, O my God; your law i...
    Psalms 119:11
    I have stored up your word in my heart, that I ...
    Deuteronomy 6:6
    And these words that I command you today shall ...
    Isaiah 51:7
    Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the p...
    Jeremiah 31:33
    But this is the covenant that I will make with ...
    Romans 7:22
    For I delight in the law of God, in my inner be...
  56. Cross References
    Psalms 73:2
    But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped.
  57. Cross References
    Psalms 10:8
    He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he murders the innocent. His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless.
  58. Cross References
    2 Peter 2:9
    Then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment.
  59. Cross References
    Psalms 109:31
    For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.
  60. Cross References
    Psalms 37:9
    For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
    Psalms 27:14
    Wait for the Lord ; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
  61. Cross References
    Psalms 52:5 - 6
    But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
    Psalms 91:8
    You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.
  62. Cross References
    Job 5:3
    I have seen the fool taking root, but suddenly I cursed his dwelling.
  63. Cross References
    Psalms 52:8
    But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.
  64. Cross References
    Psalms 37:10
    In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
    Job 20:5
    That the exulting of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless but for a moment?
  65. Cross References
    Psalms 37:11
    But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
    Psalms 119:165
    Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.
    Isaiah 57:2
    He enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness.
  66. Cross References
    Psalms 52:5
    But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
    Psalms 104:35
    Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more! Bless the Lord, O my soul! Praise the Lord!
    Proverbs 2:22
    But the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.
  67. Cross References
    Psalms 73:17
    Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.
    Job 18:17
    His memory perishes from the earth, and he has no name in the street.
  68. Cross References
    Psalms 3:8
    Salvation belongs to the Lord ; your blessing be on your people! Selah
  69. Cross References
    Psalms 9:9
    The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
  70. Cross References
    Isaiah 31:5
    Like birds hovering, so the Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem; he will protect and deliver it; he will spare and rescue it.
    Acts 12:11
    When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.
  71. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 5:20
    And when they prevailed over them, the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hands, for they cried out to God in the battle, and he granted their urgent plea because they trusted in him.
    Daniel 3:17
    If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.
    Daniel 3:28
    Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.
    Daniel 6:23
    Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
  72. Cross References
    Psalms 11:1
    In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, "Flee like a bird to your mountain.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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