Psalms 36

¹A Psalm of David himself. Do not choose to imitate the malicious; neither should you envy those who work iniquity.

²For they will quickly wither away like dry grass, and in like manner to kitchen herbs, they will soon droop.

³Hope in the Lord and do good, and dwell in the land, and so you shall be pastured with its riches.

⁴Delight in the Lord, and he will grant to you the petitions of your heart.

⁵Reveal your way to the Lord, and hope in him, and he will accomplish it.

⁶And he will bring forth your justice like the light, and your judgment like the midday.

⁷Be subject to the Lord and pray to him. Do not choose to compete with him who prospers in his way, with the man who does injustice.

⁸Cease from wrath and leave behind rage. Do not choose to imitate the malicious.

⁹For those who are malicious will be exterminated. But those who remain with the Lord, these will inherit the land.

¹⁰Yet still a little while, and the sinner will not be. And you will search his place and find nothing.

¹¹But the meek shall inherit the earth, and they will delight in the multitude of peace.

¹²The sinner will observe the just, and he will gnash his teeth over him.

¹³But the Lord will laugh at him: for he knows in advance that his day will come.

¹⁴The sinners have drawn the sword, they have bent their bow, so as to cast down the poor and the needy, so as to massacre the upright of heart.

¹⁵Let their sword enter into their own hearts, and let their bow be broken.

¹⁶A little is better to the just than the many riches of sinners.

¹⁷For the arms of sinners will be crushed, but the Lord confirms the just.

¹⁸The Lord knows the days of the immaculate, and their inheritance will be in eternity.

¹⁹They will not be confounded in an evil time; and in days of famine, they will be satisfied:

²⁰for sinners will perish. Truly, the adversaries of the Lord, soon after they have been honored and exalted, will fade away, in the same way that smoke fades away.

²¹The sinner will lend and not release, but the just one shows compassion and donates.

²²For those who bless him will inherit the earth, but those who curse him will perish.

²³The steps of a man will be directed by the Lord, and he will choose his way.

²⁴When he falls, he will not be harmed, because the Lord places his hand under him.

²⁵I have been young, and now I am old; and I have not seen the just forsaken, nor his offspring seeking bread.

²⁶He shows compassion and lends, all day long, and his offspring will be in blessing.

²⁷Turn away from evil and do good, and dwell forever and ever.

²⁸For the Lord loves judgment, and he will not abandon his saints. They will be kept safe in eternity. The unjust will be punished, and the offspring of the impious will perish.

²⁹But the just will inherit the earth, and they will dwell upon it forever and ever.

³⁰The mouth of the just one will express wisdom, and his tongue will speak judgment.

³¹The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps shall not be supplanted.

³²The sinner considers the just one and seeks to put him to death.

³³But the Lord will not abandon him into his hands, nor condemn him, when he will be judged.

³⁴Wait for the Lord, and keep to his way. And he will exalt you, so as to inherit the land that you may seize. When the sinners will have passed away, then you shall see.

³⁵I have seen the impious over-exalted, and lifted up like the cedars of Lebanon.

³⁶And I passed by, and behold, he was not. And I sought him, and his place was not found.

³⁷Keep to innocence, and gaze upon fairness: because there are allotments for the peaceful man.

³⁸But the unjust will be destroyed together: the allotments of the impious will pass away.

³⁹But the salvation of the just is from the Lord, and he is their protector in time of tribulation.

⁴⁰And the Lord will help them and free them. And he will rescue them from sinners and save them, because they have hoped in him.

Psalms 36

¹Be not emulous of evildoers; nor envy them that work iniquity.

²For they shall shortly wither away as grass, and as the green herbs shall quickly fall.

³Trust in the Lord, and do good, and dwell in the land, and thou shalt be fed with its riches.

⁴Delight in the Lord, and he will give thee the requests of thy heart.

⁵Commit thy way to the Lord, and trust in him, and he will do it.

⁶And he will bring forth thy justice as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

⁷Be subject to the Lord and pray to him. Envy not the man who prospereth in his way; the man who doth unjust things.

⁸Cease from anger, and leave rage; have no emulation to do evil.

⁹For evildoers shall be cut off: but they that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the land.

¹⁰For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: and thou shalt seek his place, and shalt not find it.

¹¹But the meek shall inherit the land, and shall delight in abundance of peace.

¹²The sinner shall watch the just man: and shall gnash upon him with his teeth.

¹³But the Lord shall laugh at him: for he foreseeth that his day shall come.

¹⁴The wicked have drawn out the sword: they have bent their bow. To cast down the poor and needy, to kill the upright of heart.

¹⁵Let their sword enter into their own hearts, and let their bow be broken.

¹⁶Better is a little to the just, than the great riches of the wicked.

¹⁷For the arms of the wicked shall be broken in pieces; but the Lord strengtheneth the just.

¹⁸The Lord knoweth the days of the undefiled; and their inheritance shall be for ever.

¹⁹They shall not be confounded in the evil time; and in the days of famine they shall be filled:

²⁰Because the wicked shall perish. And the enemies of the Lord, presently after they shall be honoured and exalted, shall come to nothing and vanish like smoke.

²¹The sinner shall borrow, and not pay again; but the just sheweth mercy and shall give.

²²For such as bless him shall inherit the land: but such as curse him shall perish.

²³With the Lord shall the steps of a man be directed, and he shall like well his way.

²⁴When he shall fall he shall not be bruised, for the Lord putteth his hand under him.

²⁵I have been young and now am old; and I have not seen the just forsaken, nor his seed seeking bread.

²⁶He sheweth mercy, and lendeth all the day long; and his seed shall be in blessing.

²⁷Decline from evil and do good, and dwell for ever and ever.

²⁸For the Lord loveth judgment, and will not forsake his saints: they shall be preserved for ever. The unjust shall be punished, and the seed of the wicked shall perish.

²⁹But the just shall inherit the land, and shall dwell therein for evermore.

³⁰The mouth of the just shall meditate wisdom: and his tongue shall speak judgment.

³¹The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps shall not be supplanted.

³²The wicked watcheth the just man, and seeketh to put him to death,

³³But the Lord will not leave him in his hands; nor condemn him when he shall be judged.

³⁴Expect the Lord and keep his way: and he will exalt thee to inherit the land: when the sinners shall perish thou shalt see.

³⁵I have seen the wicked highly exalted, and lifted up like the cedars of Libanus.

³⁶And I passed by, and lo, he was not: and I sought him and his place was not found.

³⁷Keep innocence, and behold justice: for there are remnants for the peaceable man.

³⁸But the unjust shall be destroyed together: the remnants of the wicked shall perish.

³⁹But the salvation of the just is from the Lord, and he is their protector in the time of trouble.

⁴⁰And the Lord will help them and deliver them: and he will rescue them from the wicked, and save them because they have hoped in him.