Psalm 37:1-40 TLB

[1] Never envy the wicked! [2] Soon they fade away like grass and disappear. [3] Trust in the Lord instead. Be kind and good to others; then you will live safely here in the land and prosper, feeding in safety. [4] Be delighted with the Lord. Then he will give you all your heart's desires. [5] Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him to help you do it, and he will. [6] Your innocence will be clear to everyone. He will vindicate you with the blazing light of justice shining down as from the noonday sun. [7] Rest in the Lord; wait patiently for him to act. Don't be envious of evil men who prosper. [8] Stop your anger! Turn off your wrath. Don't fret and worry-it only leads to harm. [9] For the wicked shall be destroyed, but those who trust the Lord shall be given every blessing. [10] Only a little while and the wicked shall disappear. You will look for them in vain. [11] But all who humble themselves before the Lord shall be given every blessing and shall have wonderful peace. [12] The Lord is laughing at those who plot against the godly, for he knows their judgment day is coming. [14] Evil men take aim to slay the poor; they are ready to butcher those who do right. [15] But their swords will be plunged into their own hearts, and all their weapons will be broken. [16] It is better to have little and be godly than to own an evil man's wealth; [17] for the strength of evil men shall be broken, but the Lord takes care of those he has forgiven. [18] Day by day the Lord observes the good deeds done by godly men, and gives them eternal rewards. [19] He cares for them when times are hard; even in famine, they will have enough. [20] But evil men shall perish. These enemies of God will wither like grass and disappear like smoke. [21] Evil men borrow and "cannot pay it back"! But the good man returns what he owes with some extra besides. [22] Those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the earth, but those cursed by him shall die. [23] The steps of good men are directed by the Lord. He delights in each step they take. [24] If they fall, it isn't fatal, for the Lord holds them with his hand. [25] I have been young and now I am old. And in all my years I have never seen the Lord forsake a man who loves him; nor have I seen the children of the godly go hungry. [26] Instead, the godly are able to be generous with their gifts and loans to others, and their children are a blessing. [27] So if you want an eternal home, leave your evil, low-down ways and live good lives. [28] For the Lord loves justice and fairness; he will never abandon his people. They will be kept safe forever; but all who love wickedness shall perish. [29] The godly shall be firmly planted in the land and live there forever. [30] The godly man is a good counselor because he is just and fair and knows right from wrong. [32] Evil men spy on the godly, waiting for an excuse to accuse them and then demanding their death. [33] But the Lord will not let these evil men succeed, nor let the godly be condemned when they are brought before the judge. [34] Don't be impatient for the Lord to act! Keep traveling steadily along his pathway and in due season he will honor you with every blessing, and you will see the wicked destroyed. [35] I myself have seen it happen: a proud and evil man, towering like a cedar of Lebanon, but when I looked again, he was gone! I searched but could not find him! [37] But the good man-what a different story! For the good man-the blameless, the upright, the man of peace-he has a wonderful future ahead of him. For him there is a happy ending. [38] But evil men shall be destroyed, and their posterity shall be cut off. [39] The Lord saves the godly! He is their salvation and their refuge when trouble comes. [40] Because they trust in him, he helps them and delivers them from the plots of evil men.