37:2 For they will quickly dry up like grass,
and wither away like plants. 1
37:3 Trust in the Lord and do what is right!
Settle in the land and maintain your integrity! 2
37:4 Then you will take delight in the Lord, 3
and he will answer your prayers. 4
37:5 Commit your future to the Lord! 5
Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf. 6
37:6 He will vindicate you in broad daylight,
and publicly defend your just cause. 7
37:7 Wait patiently for the Lord! 8
Wait confidently 9 for him!
Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner, 10
a man who carries out wicked schemes!
37:8 Do not be angry and frustrated! 11
Do not fret! That only leads to trouble!
37:9 Wicked men 12 will be wiped out, 13
but those who rely on the Lord are the ones who will possess the land. 14
37:10 Evil men will soon disappear; 15
you will stare at the spot where they once were, but they will be gone. 16
37:11 But the oppressed will possess the land
and enjoy great prosperity. 17
37:12 Evil men plot against the godly 18
and viciously attack them. 19
37:13 The Lord laughs in disgust 20 at them,
for he knows that their day is coming. 21
37:14 Evil men draw their swords
and prepare their bows,
to bring down 22 the oppressed and needy,
and to slaughter those who are godly. 23
37:15 Their swords will pierce 24 their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
37:16 The little bit that a godly man owns is better than
the wealth of many evil men, 25
37:17 for evil men will lose their power, 26
but the Lord sustains 27 the godly.
37:18 The Lord watches over the innocent day by day 28
and they possess a permanent inheritance. 29
37:19 They will not be ashamed when hard times come; 30
when famine comes they will have enough to eat. 31
37:20 But 32 evil men will die;
the Lord’s enemies will be incinerated 33 –
they will go up in smoke. 34
37:21 Evil men borrow, but do not repay their debt,
but the godly show compassion and are generous. 35
37:22 Surely 36 those favored by the Lord 37 will possess the land,
but those rejected 38 by him will be wiped out. 39
37:23 The Lord grants success to the one
whose behavior he finds commendable. 40
37:24 Even if 41 he trips, he will not fall headlong, 42
for the Lord holds 43 his hand.
37:25 I was once young, now I am old.
I have never seen a godly man abandoned,
or his children 44 forced to search for food. 45
37:26 All day long he shows compassion and lends to others, 46
and his children 47 are blessed.
37:27 Turn away from evil! Do what is right! 48
Then you will enjoy lasting security. 49
37:28 For the Lord promotes 50 justice,
and never abandons 51 his faithful followers.
They are permanently secure, 52
but the children 53 of evil men are wiped out. 54
37:29 The godly will possess the land
and will dwell in it permanently.
37:30 The godly speak wise words
and promote justice. 55
37:31 The law of their God controls their thinking; 56
their 57 feet do not slip.
37:32 Evil men set an ambush for the godly
and try to kill them. 58
37:33 But the Lord does not surrender the godly,
or allow them to be condemned in a court of law. 59
37:34 Rely 60 on the Lord! Obey his commands! 61
Then he will permit you 62 to possess the land;
you will see the demise of evil men. 63
37:35 I have seen ruthless evil men 64
growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil. 65
37:36 But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared! 66
I looked for them, but they could not be found.
37:37 Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly! 67
For the one who promotes peace has a future. 68
37:38 Sinful rebels are totally destroyed; 69
evil men have no future. 70
37:39 But the Lord delivers the godly; 71
he protects them in times of trouble. 72
37:40 The Lord helps them and rescues them;
he rescues them from evil men and delivers them, 73
for they seek his protection.