Psalm 37

(from Day 7 Evening Prayer)

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 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.
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 judgement.
32. The law of his God is in his heart: and his goings shall not slide.
33. The ungodly seeth 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.