1 A psalm of David. Do not be irritated because of evildoers; do not be envious of those who act unrighteously. 2 For they will soon dry up as the grass and wither as the green plants. 3 Trust in Yahweh and do what is good; settle in the land and graze in faithfulness. 4 Then delight yourself in Yahweh, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Give your ways to Yahweh; trust in him, and he will act on your behalf. 6 He will display your justice like the daylight and your innocence like the day at noon. 7 Be still before Yahweh and wait patiently for him. Do not be angry if someone succeeds in what he does, or when he makes evil plots. 8 Do not be angry and frustrated. Do not worry. This only makes trouble. 9 Evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for Yahweh will inherit the land. 10 In a little while the evil man will disappear; you will look at his place, but he will be gone. 11 But the meek will inherit the land and will delight in great prosperity. 12 The wicked man plots against the righteous and he grinds his teeth in rage against him. 13 The Lord laughs at him, for he sees that his day is coming. 14 The wicked have drawn out their swords and have bent their bows to cast down the oppressed and needy, to kill those who are upright. 15 Their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. 16 Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked people. 17 For the arms of the wicked people will be broken, but Yahweh supports the righteous people. 18 Yahweh watches over the blameless day by day, and their heritage will be forever. 19 They will not be ashamed when times are bad. When famine comes, they will have enough to eat. 20 But evil men will perish. Yahweh's enemies will be like the glory of the pastures; they will be consumed and disappear in the smoke. 21 The wicked person borrows but does not repay, but the righteous person is generous and gives. 22 Those who are blessed by God will inherit the land; those who are cursed by him will be cut off. 23 It is by Yahweh that a man's steps are established, the man whose way is commendable in God's sight. 24 Though he stumbles, he will not fall down, for Yahweh is holding him with his hand. 25 I was young and now am old; I have never seen the righteous person abandoned or his children begging for bread. 26 All the day long he is gracious and lends, and his children become a blessing. 27 Turn away from evil and do what is right; then you will be safe forever. 28 For Yahweh loves justice and does not abandon his faithful followers. They are preserved forever, but the descendants of the wicked will be cut off. 29 The righteous will inherit the land and live there forever. 30 The mouth of the righteous person speaks wisdom and increases justice. 31 The law of his God is in his heart; his feet will not slip. 32 The wicked person watches the righteous person and seeks to kill him. 33 Yahweh will not abandon him into the evil person's hand or condemn him when he is judged. 34 Wait for Yahweh and keep his way, and he will raise you up to possess the land. You will see when the wicked are cut off. 35 I have seen the wicked and terrifying person spread out like a green tree in its native soil. 36 But when I passed by again, he was not there. I looked for him, but he could not be found. 37 Observe the man of integrity, and mark the upright; there is a good future for a man of peace. 38 Sinners will be totally destroyed; the future for the wicked man is cut off. 39 Salvation of the righteous comes from Yahweh; he protects them in the times of trouble. 40 Yahweh helps them and rescues them. He rescues them from evil men and saves them because they have taken refuge in him.
Psalms · Unlocked Literal Bible
Psalm 37 Unlocked Literal Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Greek and Latin Bibles number most Psalms one lower than Hebrew and English Bibles.
Cross references (40)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Psalm 37:7; Proverbs 23:17; Proverbs 24:19; Proverbs 3:31; Proverbs 24:1
- 2 Psalm 92:7; Psalm 90:5–6; James 1:10–11; Psalm 37:35–36; Job 14:2
- 3 Jeremiah 17:7–8; Matthew 6:31–33; Psalm 62:8; 1 Corinthians 15:57–58; Psalm 34:9–10
- 4 John 15:7; Psalm 145:19; John 15:16; Isaiah 58:14; 1 John 5:14–15
- 5 Proverbs 16:3; 1 Peter 5:7; Philippians 4:6–7; Matthew 6:25; Psalm 55:22
- 6 Isaiah 54:17; Job 11:17; Isaiah 58:8; Micah 7:8–9; Matthew 13:43
- 7 James 5:7–11; Psalm 27:14; Psalm 62:5; Hebrews 10:36–37; Lamentations 3:25–26
- 8 Proverbs 14:29; Proverbs 16:32; James 1:19–20; Ephesians 4:31; Ephesians 4:26
- 9 Isaiah 60:21; Psalm 25:13; Proverbs 2:21; Psalm 37:29; Isaiah 57:13
- 10 Job 24:24; 1 Peter 4:7; Psalm 37:35–36; Psalm 107:42–43; Psalm 103:16
- 11 Matthew 5:5; Galatians 5:22–23; Isaiah 26:3; James 3:13; Psalm 119:165
- 12 Psalm 35:16; Micah 2:1; Daniel 8:12; Psalm 31:13; Matthew 26:16
- 13 Psalm 2:4; Proverbs 1:26; Daniel 5:26; 1 Samuel 26:10; Ezekiel 21:25
- 14 Proverbs 29:27; Psalm 11:2; 1 John 3:12; Proverbs 29:10; Psalm 64:2–6
- 15 Psalm 7:14–15; Psalm 35:8; Hosea 2:18; 1 Samuel 31:4; Jeremiah 51:56
- 16 Proverbs 16:8; Proverbs 15:16–17; 1 Timothy 6:6; Proverbs 13:25; Proverbs 3:33
- 17 Isaiah 41:10; Psalm 63:8; Psalm 145:14; Isaiah 42:1; Psalm 37:24
- 18 Psalm 1:6; Psalm 103:17; Romans 6:23; 2 Timothy 2:19; Revelation 11:3–5
- 19 Psalm 33:19; Proverbs 10:3; Job 5:20–22; Isaiah 33:16; Amos 5:13
- 20 Psalm 68:2; Psalm 102:3; Luke 13:3; Deuteronomy 33:14–16; Judges 5:31
- 21 Hebrews 13:16; Psalm 112:5; Proverbs 22:7; Psalm 112:9; Luke 6:30
- 22 Proverbs 3:33; 1 Corinthians 16:22; Psalm 37:9; Psalm 37:28; Psalm 37:11
- 23 Proverbs 16:9; Psalm 119:133; Proverbs 4:26; 1 Samuel 2:9; Psalm 40:2
- 24 Proverbs 24:16; Psalm 145:14; Psalm 94:18; Micah 7:7–8; John 10:27–30
- 25 Hebrews 13:5; Psalm 37:28; Psalm 25:13; Psalm 112:2; 1 Samuel 12:22
- 26 Psalm 112:5; Psalm 37:21; Matthew 5:7; Jeremiah 32:39; Deuteronomy 15:8–10
- 27 Psalm 34:14; Proverbs 16:6; 1 John 2:16–17; 1 Thessalonians 5:15; Hebrews 13:16
- 28 Proverbs 2:22; Psalm 11:7; Psalm 21:10; Isaiah 59:21; 1 Peter 1:5
- 29 Proverbs 2:21; Psalm 37:9; 2 Peter 3:13; Psalm 37:11; Psalm 37:18
- 30 Colossians 4:6; Proverbs 25:11–13; Proverbs 15:7; Ephesians 4:29; Matthew 12:35
- 31 Psalm 40:8; Deuteronomy 6:6; Isaiah 51:7; Psalm 119:11; Jeremiah 31:33
- 32 Jeremiah 20:10; Luke 14:1; Luke 20:20; Psalm 10:8–10; Luke 19:47–48
- 33 Psalm 109:31; 2 Peter 2:9; Romans 8:1; Romans 8:33–34; 2 Timothy 4:17
- 34 Psalm 27:14; Proverbs 20:22; Psalm 37:9; Matthew 24:13; Psalm 52:5–6
- 35 Job 5:3; Psalm 73:3–11; Job 21:7–17; Ezekiel 31:6–10; Isaiah 14:14–19
- 36 Psalm 37:10; Acts 12:22–23; Isaiah 10:16–19; Exodus 15:19; Isaiah 10:33–34
- 37 Isaiah 32:17; Isaiah 57:1–2; 2 Timothy 4:6–8; Acts 7:59–60; Job 42:12–17
- 38 Proverbs 14:32; Psalm 52:5; Matthew 13:49–50; 2 Thessalonians 1:8–9; Psalm 1:4–6
- 39 Psalm 9:9; Psalm 91:15; Isaiah 12:2; Psalm 3:8; 2 Timothy 4:17
- 40 Isaiah 31:5; Daniel 3:17; 1 Chronicles 5:20; Isaiah 46:4; Daniel 3:28
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
"The ungodly hath said in himself that he will sin: there is no fear of God before his eyes" (ver. 1). Not of one man, but of a race of ungodly men he speaketh, who fight against their own selves, by not understanding, that so they may live well; not because they cannot, but because they will not.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
It was Thou, O my God, who didst it, for the steps of a man are ordered by the Lord, and He shall dispose his way. Or how can we procure salvation but from Thy hand, remaking what it hath made?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
And besides, since in the Old Testament the prophet used to say continually, "The meek shall inherit the earth;" He thus weaves into His discourse the words to which they were accustomed, so as not everywhere to speak a strange language.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
"Delight thyself also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desire of thine heart." Do you love riches?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)
… saith, "Great peace have they who love Thy law, and nothing is an offence to them." To this sentiment also agrees the passage which we have chanted in course; "But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." Because, "great peace have they who love Thy law." For these "meek" ones are they …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)