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Psalm 37-39
New King James Version
Psalm 37-39
New King James Version
The Heritage of the Righteous and the Calamity of the Wicked
A Psalm of David.
37 Do(A) not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down (B)like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 (C)Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your (D)heart.
5 (E)Commit[a] your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
6 (F)He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.
7 Rest in the Lord, (G)and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who (H)prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
8 (I)Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
(J)Do not fret—it only causes harm.
9 For evildoers shall be [b]cut off;
But those who wait on the Lord,
They shall (K)inherit the earth.
10 For (L)yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
Indeed, (M)you will look carefully for his place,
But it shall be no more.
11 (N)But the meek shall inherit the earth,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12 The wicked plots against the just,
(O)And gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 (P)The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees that (Q)his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn the sword
And have bent their bow,
To cast down the poor and needy,
To slay those who are of upright conduct.
15 Their sword shall enter their own heart,
And their bows shall be broken.
16 (R)A little that a righteous man has
Is better than the riches of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
But the Lord upholds the righteous.
18 The Lord knows the days of the upright,
And their inheritance shall be forever.
19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,
And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
20 But the wicked shall perish;
And the enemies of the Lord,
Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish.
Into smoke they shall vanish away.
21 The wicked borrows and does not repay,
But (S)the righteous shows mercy and gives.
22 (T)For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth,
But those cursed by Him shall be [c]cut off.
23 (U)The steps of a good man are [d]ordered by the Lord,
And He delights in his way.
24 (V)Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For the Lord upholds him with His hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old;
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
Nor his descendants begging bread.
26 (W)He is [e]ever merciful, and lends;
And his descendants are blessed.
27 Depart from evil, and do good;
And dwell forevermore.
28 For the Lord loves justice,
And does not forsake His saints;
They are preserved forever,
But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 (X)The righteous shall inherit the land,
And dwell in it forever.
30 (Y)The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom,
And his tongue talks of justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
None of his steps shall [f]slide.
32 The wicked (Z)watches the righteous,
And seeks to slay him.
33 The Lord (AA)will not leave him in his hand,
Nor condemn him when he is judged.
34 (AB)Wait on the Lord,
And keep His way,
And He shall exalt you to inherit the land;
When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
35 I have seen the wicked in great power,
And spreading himself like a native green tree.
36 Yet [g]he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.
37 Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright;
For the future of that man is peace.
38 (AC)But the transgressors shall be destroyed together;
The future of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
He is their strength (AD)in the time of trouble.
40 And (AE)the Lord shall help them and deliver them;
He shall deliver them from the wicked,
And save them,
(AF)Because they trust in Him.
Prayer in Time of Chastening
A Psalm of David. (AG)To bring to remembrance.
38 O Lord, do not (AH)rebuke me in Your wrath,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!
2 For Your arrows pierce me deeply,
And Your hand presses me down.
3 There is no soundness in my flesh
Because of Your anger,
Nor any health in my bones
Because of my sin.
4 For my iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
5 My wounds are foul and festering
Because of my foolishness.
6 I am [h]troubled, I am bowed down greatly;
I go mourning all the day long.
7 For my loins are full of inflammation,
And there is no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am feeble and severely broken;
I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.
9 Lord, all my desire is before You;
And my sighing is not hidden from You.
10 My heart pants, my strength fails me;
As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.
11 My loved ones and my friends (AI)stand aloof from my plague,
And my relatives stand afar off.
12 Those also who seek my life lay snares for me;
Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction,
And plan deception all the day long.
13 But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth.
14 Thus I am like a man who does not hear,
And in whose mouth is no response.
15 For [i]in You, O Lord, (AJ)I hope;
You will [j]hear, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, “Hear me, lest they rejoice over me,
Lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.”
17 (AK)For I am ready to fall,
And my sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I will (AL)declare my iniquity;
I will be (AM)in [k]anguish over my sin.
19 But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong;
And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.
20 Those also (AN)who render evil for good,
They are my adversaries, because I follow what is good.
21 Do not forsake me, O Lord;
O my God, (AO)be not far from me!
22 Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!
Prayer for Wisdom and Forgiveness
To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
39 I said, “I will guard my ways,
Lest I sin with my (AP)tongue;
I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle,
While the wicked are before me.”
2 (AQ)I was mute with silence,
I held my peace even from good;
And my sorrow was stirred up.
3 My heart was hot within me;
While I was [l]musing, the fire burned.
Then I spoke with my tongue:
4 “Lord, (AR)make me to know my end,
And what is the measure of my days,
That I may know how frail I am.
5 Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my age is as nothing before You;
Certainly every man at his best state is but (AS)vapor. Selah
6 Surely every man walks about like a shadow;
Surely they [m]busy themselves in vain;
He heaps up riches,
And does not know who will gather them.
7 “And now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My (AT)hope is in You.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions;
Do not make me (AU)the reproach of the foolish.
9 (AV)I was mute, I did not open my mouth,
Because it was (AW)You who did it.
10 (AX)Remove Your plague from me;
I am consumed by the blow of Your hand.
11 When with rebukes You correct man for iniquity,
You make his beauty (AY)melt away like a moth;
Surely every man is vapor. Selah
12 “Hear my prayer, O Lord,
And give ear to my cry;
Do not be silent at my tears;
For I am a stranger with You,
A sojourner, (AZ)as all my fathers were.
13 (BA)Remove Your gaze from me, that I may regain strength,
Before I go away and (BB)am no more.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 37:5 Lit. Roll off onto
- Psalm 37:9 destroyed
- Psalm 37:22 destroyed
- Psalm 37:23 established
- Psalm 37:26 Lit. all the day
- Psalm 37:31 slip
- Psalm 37:36 So with MT, LXX, Tg.; Syr., Vg. I passed by
- Psalm 38:6 Lit. bent down
- Psalm 38:15 I wait for You, O Lord
- Psalm 38:15 answer
- Psalm 38:18 anxiety
- Psalm 39:3 meditating
- Psalm 39:6 make an uproar for nothing
Psalm 37-39
New International Version
Psalm 37-39
New International Version
Psalm 37[a]
Of David.
1 Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious(A) of those who do wrong;(B)
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,(C)
like green plants they will soon die away.(D)
3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land(E) and enjoy safe pasture.(F)
4 Take delight(G) in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.(H)
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him(I) and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward(J) shine like the dawn,(K)
your vindication like the noonday sun.
7 Be still(L) before the Lord
and wait patiently(M) for him;
do not fret(N) when people succeed in their ways,(O)
when they carry out their wicked schemes.(P)
8 Refrain from anger(Q) and turn from wrath;
do not fret(R)—it leads only to evil.
9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,(S)
but those who hope(T) in the Lord will inherit the land.(U)
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;(V)
though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land(W)
and enjoy peace and prosperity.(X)
12 The wicked plot(Y) against the righteous
and gnash their teeth(Z) at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.(AA)
14 The wicked draw the sword(AB)
and bend the bow(AC)
to bring down the poor and needy,(AD)
to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,(AE)
and their bows will be broken.(AF)
16 Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth(AG) of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,(AH)
but the Lord upholds(AI) the righteous.
18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,(AJ)
and their inheritance will endure forever.(AK)
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
20 But the wicked will perish:(AL)
Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.(AM)
21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;(AN)
22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses(AO) will be destroyed.(AP)
23 The Lord makes firm the steps(AQ)
of the one who delights(AR) in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,(AS)
for the Lord upholds(AT) him with his hand.
25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken(AU)
or their children begging(AV) bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;(AW)
their children will be a blessing.[b](AX)
27 Turn from evil and do good;(AY)
then you will dwell in the land forever.(AZ)
28 For the Lord loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.(BA)
Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed[c];
the offspring of the wicked will perish.(BB)
29 The righteous will inherit the land(BC)
and dwell in it forever.(BD)
30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,(BE)
and their tongues speak what is just.
31 The law of their God is in their hearts;(BF)
their feet do not slip.(BG)
32 The wicked lie in wait(BH) for the righteous,(BI)
intent on putting them to death;
33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
or let them be condemned(BJ) when brought to trial.(BK)
34 Hope in the Lord(BL)
and keep his way.(BM)
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed,(BN) you will see(BO) it.
35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing(BP) like a luxuriant native tree,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.(BQ)
37 Consider the blameless,(BR) observe the upright;(BS)
a future awaits those who seek peace.[d](BT)
38 But all sinners(BU) will be destroyed;(BV)
there will be no future[e] for the wicked.(BW)
39 The salvation(BX) of the righteous comes from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.(BY)
40 The Lord helps(BZ) them and delivers(CA) them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves(CB) them,
because they take refuge(CC) in him.
Psalm 38[f]
A psalm of David. A petition.
1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.(CD)
2 Your arrows(CE) have pierced me,
and your hand has come down on me.
3 Because of your wrath there is no health(CF) in my body;
there is no soundness in my bones(CG) because of my sin.
4 My guilt has overwhelmed(CH) me
like a burden too heavy to bear.(CI)
5 My wounds(CJ) fester and are loathsome(CK)
because of my sinful folly.(CL)
6 I am bowed down(CM) and brought very low;
all day long I go about mourning.(CN)
7 My back is filled with searing pain;(CO)
there is no health(CP) in my body.
8 I am feeble and utterly crushed;(CQ)
I groan(CR) in anguish of heart.(CS)
9 All my longings(CT) lie open before you, Lord;
my sighing(CU) is not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds,(CV) my strength fails(CW) me;
even the light has gone from my eyes.(CX)
11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;(CY)
my neighbors stay far away.
12 Those who want to kill me set their traps,(CZ)
those who would harm me talk of my ruin;(DA)
all day long they scheme and lie.(DB)
13 I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,(DC)
like the mute, who cannot speak;
14 I have become like one who does not hear,
whose mouth can offer no reply.
15 Lord, I wait(DD) for you;
you will answer,(DE) Lord my God.
16 For I said, “Do not let them gloat(DF)
or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”(DG)
17 For I am about to fall,(DH)
and my pain(DI) is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity;(DJ)
I am troubled by my sin.
19 Many have become my enemies(DK) without cause[g];
those who hate me(DL) without reason(DM) are numerous.
20 Those who repay my good with evil(DN)
lodge accusations(DO) against me,
though I seek only to do what is good.
21 Lord, do not forsake me;(DP)
do not be far(DQ) from me, my God.
22 Come quickly(DR) to help me,(DS)
my Lord and my Savior.(DT)
Psalm 39[h]
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
1 I said, “I will watch my ways(DU)
and keep my tongue from sin;(DV)
I will put a muzzle on my mouth(DW)
while in the presence of the wicked.”
2 So I remained utterly silent,(DX)
not even saying anything good.
But my anguish(DY) increased;
3 my heart grew hot(DZ) within me.
While I meditated,(EA) the fire(EB) burned;
then I spoke with my tongue:
4 “Show me, Lord, my life’s end
and the number of my days;(EC)
let me know how fleeting(ED) my life is.(EE)
5 You have made my days(EF) a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,(EG)
even those who seem secure.[i]
6 “Surely everyone goes around(EH) like a mere phantom;(EI)
in vain they rush about,(EJ) heaping up wealth(EK)
without knowing whose it will finally be.(EL)
7 “But now, Lord, what do I look for?
My hope is in you.(EM)
8 Save me(EN) from all my transgressions;(EO)
do not make me the scorn(EP) of fools.
9 I was silent;(EQ) I would not open my mouth,(ER)
for you are the one who has done this.(ES)
10 Remove your scourge from me;
I am overcome by the blow(ET) of your hand.(EU)
11 When you rebuke(EV) and discipline(EW) anyone for their sin,
you consume(EX) their wealth like a moth(EY)—
surely everyone is but a breath.(EZ)
Footnotes
- Psalm 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the stanzas of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
- Psalm 37:26 Or freely; / the names of their children will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or freely; / others will see that their children are blessed
- Psalm 37:28 See Septuagint; Hebrew They will be protected forever
- Psalm 37:37 Or upright; / those who seek peace will have posterity
- Psalm 37:38 Or posterity
- Psalm 38:1 In Hebrew texts 38:1-22 is numbered 38:2-23.
- Psalm 38:19 One Dead Sea Scrolls manuscript; Masoretic Text my vigorous enemies
- Psalm 39:1 In Hebrew texts 39:1-13 is numbered 39:2-14.
- Psalm 39:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 11.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.