Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land(A) and enjoy safe pasture.(B)
Take delight(C) in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.(D)

Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him(E) and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward(F) shine like the dawn,(G)
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

Be still(H) before the Lord
    and wait patiently(I) for him;
do not fret(J) when people succeed in their ways,(K)
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.(L)

Refrain from anger(M) and turn from wrath;
    do not fret(N)—it leads only to evil.
For those who are evil will be destroyed,(O)
    but those who hope(P) in the Lord will inherit the land.(Q)

10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;(R)
    though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land(S)
    and enjoy peace and prosperity.(T)

12 The wicked plot(U) against the righteous
    and gnash their teeth(V) at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he knows their day is coming.(W)

14 The wicked draw the sword(X)
    and bend the bow(Y)
to bring down the poor and needy,(Z)
    to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,(AA)
    and their bows will be broken.(AB)

16 Better the little that the righteous have
    than the wealth(AC) of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,(AD)
    but the Lord upholds(AE) the righteous.

18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,(AF)
    and their inheritance will endure forever.(AG)
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
    in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20 But the wicked will perish:(AH)
    Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
    they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.(AI)

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
    but the righteous give generously;(AJ)
22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
    but those he curses(AK) will be destroyed.(AL)

23 The Lord makes firm the steps(AM)
    of the one who delights(AN) in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,(AO)
    for the Lord upholds(AP) him with his hand.

25 I was young and now I am old,
    yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken(AQ)
    or their children begging(AR) bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;(AS)
    their children will be a blessing.[a](AT)

27 Turn from evil and do good;(AU)
    then you will dwell in the land forever.(AV)
28 For the Lord loves the just
    and will not forsake his faithful ones.(AW)

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed[b];
    the offspring of the wicked will perish.(AX)
29 The righteous will inherit the land(AY)
    and dwell in it forever.(AZ)

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Footnotes

  1. 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
  2. Psalm 37:28 See Septuagint; Hebrew They will be protected forever

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