PSALM 37. _Noli aemulari_.
Fret not thyself because of the ungodly 2 neither be thou envious
against the evil-doers,
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass: and be withered
even as the green herb.
3 Put thou thy trust in the Lord, and be doing good: dwell in the
land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thou in the Lord: and he shall give thee thy heart's
desire.
5 Commit thy way unto the Lord, and put thy trust in him: and he
shall bring it to pass.
6 He shall make thy righteousness as clear as the light: and thy
just dealing as the noon-day.
7 Hold thee still in the Lord, and abide patiently upon him: but
grieve not thyself at him whose way doth prosper, against the man
that doeth after evil counsels.
8 Leave off from wrath, and let go displeasure: fret not thyself,
else shalt thou be moved to do evil.
9 Wicked doers shall be rooted out: and they that patiently abide
the Lord, those shall inherit the land.
10 Yet a little while, and the ungodly shall be clean gone: thou
shalt look after his place, and he shall be away.
11 But the meek-spirited shall possess the earth: and shall be
refreshed in the multitude of peace.
12 The ungodly seeketh counsel against the just: and gnasheth upon
him with his teeth.
13 The Lord shall laugh him to scorn: for he hath seen that his day
is coming.
14 The ungodly have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow:
to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as are of a right
conversation.
15 Their sword shall go through their own heart: and their bow
shall be broken.
16 A small thing that the righteous hath: is better than great
riches of the ungodly.
17 For the arms of the ungodly shall be broken: and the Lord
upholdeth the righteous.
18 The Lord knoweth the days of the godly: and their inheritance
shall endure for ever.
19 They shall not be confounded in the perilous time: and in the
days of dearth they shall have enough.
20 As for the ungodly; they shall perish; and the enemies of the
Lord shall consume as the fat of lambs: yea, even as the smoke
shall they consume away.
21 The ungodly borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous
is merciful and liberal.
22 Such as are blessed of God shall possess the land: and they that
are cursed of him shall be rooted out.
23 The Lord ordereth a good man's going: and maketh his way
acceptable to himself.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be cast away: for the Lord
upholdeth him with his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old: and yet saw I never the
righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread.
26 The righteous is ever merciful, and lendeth: and his seed is
blessed.
27 Flee from evil, and do the thing that is good: and dwell for
evermore.
28 For the Lord loveth the thing that is right: he forsaketh not
his that be godly, but they are preserved for ever.
29 The unrighteous shall be punished: as for the seed of the
ungodly, it shall be rooted out.