Psalm 36-38
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 36
Human Wickedness and God’s Love
For the choir director. A psalm of David, the Lord’s servant.
1 An oracle within my heart
concerning the transgression of the wicked person:
There is no dread of God before his eyes,(A)
2 for in his own eyes he flatters himself too much
to discover and hate his sin.(B)
3 The words of his mouth are malicious and deceptive;(C)
he has stopped acting wisely and doing good.(D)
4 Even on his bed he makes malicious plans.(E)
He sets himself on a path that is not good
and does not reject evil.(F)
5 Lord, Your faithful love reaches to heaven,
Your faithfulness to the clouds.(G)
6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains;
Your judgments, like the deepest sea.(H)
Lord, You preserve man and beast.(I)
7 God, Your faithful love is so valuable
that people take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.(J)
8 They are filled from the abundance of Your house;
You let them drink from Your refreshing stream,(K)
9 for with You is life’s fountain.(L)
In Your light we will see light.(M)
10 Spread Your faithful love over those who know You,
and Your righteousness over the upright in heart.(N)
11 Do not let the foot of the arrogant man come near me
or the hand of the wicked one drive me away.(O)
12 There the evildoers fall;
they have been thrown down and cannot rise.(P)
Psalm 37
Instruction in Wisdom
Davidic.
1 Do[a] not be agitated by evildoers;
do not envy those who do wrong.(Q)
2 For they wither quickly like grass
and wilt like tender green plants.(R)
3 Trust in the Lord and do what is good;(S)
dwell in the land and live securely.[b](T)
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and He will give you your heart’s desires.(U)
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in Him, and He will act,(V)
6 making your righteousness shine like the dawn,
your justice like the noonday.(W)
7 Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him;(X)
do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way,
by the man who carries out evil plans.(Y)
8 Refrain from anger and give up your rage;
do not be agitated—it can only bring harm.(Z)
9 For evildoers will be destroyed,
but those who put their hope in the Lord
will inherit the land.[c](AA)
10 A little while, and the wicked person will be no more;
though you look for him, he will not be there.(AB)
11 But the humble will inherit the land[d](AC)
and will enjoy abundant prosperity.(AD)
12 The wicked person schemes against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him.(AE)
13 The Lord laughs at him(AF)
because He sees that his day is coming.(AG)
14 The wicked have drawn the sword and strung the[e] bow
to bring down the afflicted and needy
and to slaughter those whose way is upright.(AH)
15 Their swords will enter their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.(AI)
16 The little that the righteous man has is better
than the abundance of many wicked people.(AJ)
17 For the arms[f] of the wicked will be broken,(AK)
but the Lord supports the righteous.(AL)
18 The Lord watches over the blameless all their days,
and their inheritance will last forever.(AM)
19 They will not be disgraced in times of adversity;
they will be satisfied in days of hunger.(AN)
20 But the wicked will perish;
the Lord’s enemies, like the glory of the pastures,
will fade away—
they will fade away like smoke.(AO)
21 The wicked man borrows and does not repay,
but the righteous one is gracious and giving.(AP)
22 Those who are blessed by Him will inherit the land,[g]
but those cursed by Him will be destroyed.(AQ)
23 A man’s steps are established by the Lord,
and He takes pleasure in his way.(AR)
24 Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed,
because the Lord holds his hand.[h](AS)
25 I have been young and now I am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned
or his children begging for bread.(AT)
26 He is always generous, always lending,
and his children are a blessing.(AU)
27 Turn away from evil and do what is good,
and dwell there[i] forever.(AV)
28 For the Lord loves justice
and will not abandon His faithful ones.(AW)
They are kept safe forever,
but the children of the wicked will be destroyed.(AX)
29 The righteous will inherit the land[j]
and dwell in it permanently.(AY)
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom;
his tongue speaks what is just.(AZ)
31 The instruction of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not falter.(BA)
32 The wicked one lies in wait for the righteous
and seeks to kill him;(BB)
33 the Lord will not leave him
in the power of the wicked one
or allow him to be condemned when he is judged.(BC)
34 Wait for the Lord and keep His way,
and He will exalt you to inherit the land.
You will watch when the wicked are destroyed.(BD)
35 I have seen a wicked, violent man
well-rooted[k] like a flourishing native tree.(BE)
36 Then I passed by and[l] noticed he was gone;
I searched for him, but he could not be found.(BF)
37 Watch the blameless and observe the upright,
for the man of peace will have a future.[m](BG)
38 But transgressors will all be eliminated;
the future[n] of the wicked will be destroyed.(BH)
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord,
their refuge in a time of distress.(BI)
40 The Lord helps and delivers them;
He will deliver them from the wicked and will save them
because they take refuge in Him.(BJ)
Psalm 38
Prayer of a Suffering Sinner
A Davidic psalm for remembrance.(BK)
1 Lord, do not punish me in Your anger
or discipline me in Your wrath.(BL)
2 For Your arrows have sunk into me,
and Your hand has pressed down on me.(BM)
3 There is no health in my body
because of Your indignation;
there is no strength[o] in my bones
because of my sin.(BN)
4 For my sins have flooded over my head;
they are a burden too heavy for me to bear.(BO)
5 My wounds are foul and festering
because of my foolishness.(BP)
6 I am bent over and brought low;
all day long I go around in mourning.(BQ)
7 For my loins are full of burning pain,
and there is no health in my body.(BR)
8 I am faint and severely crushed;
I groan because of the anguish of my heart.(BS)
9 Lord, my every desire is known to[p] You;
my sighing is not hidden from You.(BT)
10 My heart races, my strength leaves me,
and even the light of my eyes has faded.[q](BU)
11 My loved ones and friends stand back from my affliction,
and my relatives stand at a distance.(BV)
12 Those who seek my life set traps,
and those who want to harm me threaten to destroy me;
they plot treachery all day long.(BW)
13 I am like a deaf person; I do not hear.
I am like a speechless person
who does not open his mouth.(BX)
14 I am like a man who does not hear
and has no arguments in his mouth.(BY)
15 I put my hope in You, Lord;
You will answer, Lord my God.(BZ)
16 For I said, “Don’t let them rejoice over me—
those who are arrogant toward me when I stumble.”(CA)
17 For I am about to fall,
and my pain is constantly with me.(CB)
18 So I confess my guilt;
I am anxious because of my sin.(CC)
19 But my enemies are vigorous and powerful;[r]
many hate me for no reason.(CD)
20 Those who repay evil for good
attack me for pursuing good.(CE)
21 Lord, do not abandon me;
my God, do not be far from me.(CF)
22 Hurry to help me,
Lord, my Savior.(CG)
Footnotes
- Psalm 37:1 The lines of this poem form an acrostic.
- Psalm 37:3 Or and cultivate faithfulness
- Psalm 37:9 Or earth
- Psalm 37:11 Or earth
- Psalm 37:14 Lit their
- Psalm 37:17 Or power
- Psalm 37:22 Or earth
- Psalm 37:24 Or Lord supports with His hand
- Psalm 37:27 = dwell in the land
- Psalm 37:29 Or earth
- Psalm 37:35 Hb obscure
- Psalm 37:36 DSS, LXX, Syr, Vg, Jer; MT reads Then he passed away, and I
- Psalm 37:37 Or posterity
- Psalm 37:38 Or posterity
- Psalm 38:3 Hb shalom
- Psalm 38:9 Lit is in front of
- Psalm 38:10 Or and the light of my eyes—even that is not with me
- Psalm 38:19 Or numerous
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