Psalm 37. Noli aemulari.

1. FRET not thyself because of the ungodly; *
   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 be upright in their ways.
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.
30. The righteous shall inherit the land, *
    and dwell therein for ever.
31. The mouth of the righteous is exercised in wisdom, *
    and his tongue will be talking of judgment.
32. The law of his God is in his heart, *
    and his goings shall not slide.
33. The ungodly watcheth the righteous, *
    and seeketh occasion to slay him.
34. The Lord will not leave him in his hand, *
    nor condemn him when he is judged.
35. Hope thou in the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall promote thee, that thou shalt possess the land: *
    when the ungodly shall perish, thou shalt see it.
36. I myself have seen the ungodly in great power, *
    and flourishing like a green bay-tree.
37. I went by, and lo, he was gone: *
    I sought him, but his place could no where be found.
38. Keep innocency, and take heed unto the thing that is right; *
    for that shall bring a man peace at the last.
39. As for the transgressors, they shall perish together; *
    and the end of the ungodly is, they shall be rooted out at the last.
40. But the salvation of the righteous cometh of the Lord; *
    who is also their strength in the time of trouble.
41. And the Lord shall stand by them, and save them: *
    he shall deliver them from the ungodly, and shall save them, because they put their trust in him.