Psalm 37
1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
1 Fret not thyself be- | cause of • the un- | godly; ||
neither be thou | en•vious a- | gainst the • evil | doers. ||
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
2 For they shall soon be cut | down • like the | grass, ||
and be withered | even • as the | green | herb. ||
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
3 Put thou thy trust in the Lord, and be | doing | good; ||
dwell in the land, and | 3 verily | 3 thou shalt be | fed. ||
4 Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
4 Delight thou in the Lord, and he shall give thee thy | heart's de- | sire. ||
5 Commit thy way unto the Lord, and put thy trust in him, * and | he shall | 3 bring it to | pass. ||
5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
6 He shall make thy righteousness as | clear • as the | light, ||
and thy just | dealing | as the | noon•day. ||
7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
7 Hold thee still in the Lord, and abide | patient•ly up- | on him: ||
but grieve not thyself at him whose way doth prosper, * against the man that | doeth • after | evil | counsels. ||
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
8 Leave off from wrath, and let | go dis- | pleasure: ||
fret not thyself, else 3 shalt | thou be | moved to • do | evil. ||
9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.
9 Wicked doers shall be | rooted | out; ||
and they that patiently abide the Lord, * | those • shall in- | 3 herit the | land. ||
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
10 Yet a little while, and the ungodly shall be | clean | gone: ||
thou shalt look after his | place, and | he shall • be a- | way. ||
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
11 But the meek-spirited shall pos- | sess the | earth, ||
and shall be re- | freshed • in the | multi•tude of | peace. ||
12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
12 The ungodly seeketh | counsel a•gainst the | just, ||
and | 3 gnasheth up- | on him • with his | teeth. ||
13 The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.
13 The Lord shall | 3 laugh him to | scorn; ||
for he hath | seen • that his | day is | coming. ||
14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.
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 enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
† 15 Their | 3 sword shall go | through their ||
own | heart, • and their | bow • shall be | broken. ||
16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
16 A small thing that the righteous hath, is better than great | riches • of the un- | godly. ||
17 For the arms of the ungodly shall be broken, * and the | Lord up- | 3 holdeth the | righteous. ||
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.
18 The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
18 The Lord knoweth the | days • of the | godly; ||
and their in- | heritance • shall en- | dure for | ever. ||
19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
19 They shall not be confounded in the | peri•lous | time; ||
and in the days of | dearth • they shall | have e- | nough. ||
20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.
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 con- | sume a- | way. ||
21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.
21 The ungodly borroweth, and | payeth • not a- | gain; ||
but the | 3 righteous is | merci•ful and | liber•al. ||
22 For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.
22 Such as are blessed of God, shall pos- | sess the | land; ||
and they that are cursed of 3 him, | shall be | rooted | out. ||
23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.
23 The Lord ordereth a | good man's | going, ||
and maketh his way ac- | 3 ceptable | to him- | self. ||
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.
24 Though he fall, he shall | not be • cast a- | way; ||
for the Lord up- | 3 holdeth him | with his | hand. ||
25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
25 I have been young, and | now am | old; ||
and yet saw I never the righteous for- | saken, • nor his | seed • begging their | bread. ||
26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.
† 26 The righteous is | ever | merci•ful, and ||
lendeth; * | and his | seed is | blessed. ||
27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
27 Flee from evil, and do the | thing • that is | good; ||
and | dwell for | ever- | more. ||
28 For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
28 For the Lord loveth the | thing • that is | right; ||
he forsaketh not his that be godly, but | they • are pre- | served for | ever. ||
29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
29 The un- | righteous • shall be | punished; ||
as for the seed of the ungodly, 3 it | shall be | rooted | out. ||
30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
30 The righteous shall in- | 3 herit the | land, ||
and | dwell there- | in for | ever. ||
31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
31 The mouth of the righteous is | exer•cised in | wisdom, ||
and his | tongue • will be | 3 talking of | judgment. ||
32 The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
32 The law of his | God is • in his | heart, ||
and his | goings | shall not | slide. ||
33 The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
33 The ungodly | 3 watcheth the | righteous, ||
and | 3 seeketh oc- | 3 casion to | slay him. ||
34 Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
34 The Lord will not | leave him • in his | hand, ||
nor con- | demn him | when • he is | judged. ||
35 I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
35 Hope thou in the Lord, and keep his way, * and he shall promote thee, that thou shalt pos- | sess the | land: ||
when the un- | 3 godly shall | perish, • thou shalt | see it. ||
36 Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
36 I myself have seen the un- | godly in • great | power, ||
and | flourish•ing | like a • green | bay-tree. ||
37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
37 I went by, and 3 lo, | he was | gone: ||
I sought him, but his | place could | 3 no where be | found. ||
38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
38 Keep innocency, and take heed unto the | thing • that is | right; ||
for that shall | bring a • man | peace • at the | last. ||
39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
39 As for the transgressors, they shall | 3 perish to- | gether; ||
and the end of the ungodly is, they shall be | rooted | out • at the | last. ||
40 And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
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 3 by | them, and | save them: ||
he shall deliver them from the ungodly, and shall save them, * be- | cause they | put their | trust in • him. ||
About the Pointing
The text of the Coverdale Psalter follows the 1928 American Book of Common Prayer. The pointing, suitably adapted, is taken from Charles Macpherson, Edward C. Bairstow, and Percy C. Buck, The English Psalter (Novello & Co., 1925).