PSALM 37
Noli aemulari.

Fret not thyself because of | the ungodly;

* neither be thou envious a- | -gainst 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 patient- | -ly 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 in•herit• 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 pos- | -sess the earth,

* and shall be refreshed in the | multitude of peace.

12 The ungodly seeketh counsel a- | -gainst the just,

* and gnasheth up- | -on 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 up•holdeth• 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 | peril•ous 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 pos- | -sess 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 ac- | -cepta•ble to himself.

24 Though he fall, he shall not be | cast away;

* for the LORD up- | -holdeth• 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 merci- | -ful, 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 in- | -herit• the land,

* and | dwell therein for ever.

31 The mouth of the righteous is exer- | -cised 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• oc•casion• to slay him.

34 The LORD will not leave him | in his hand,

* nor con- | -demn him when •he is• judged.

35 Hope thou in the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall promote thee, that thou shalt pos- | -sess 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.

Glory be to the Father, and | to the Son,

* and | to the Holy Ghost,

As it was in the beginning, is now, and | ever shall be,

* world without | end.  Amen.

        2nd half: v. 41