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