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He Will Not Forsake His Saints

^{1 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each stanza beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet} Of David.

1  Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
    be not envious of wrongdoers!
2  For they will soon fade like the grass
    and wither like the green herb.

3  Trust in the LORD, and do good;
    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. ^{2 37:3 Or and feed on faithfulness, or and find safe pasture}
4  Delight yourself in the LORD,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5  Commit your way to the LORD;
    trust in him, and he will act.
6  He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as the noonday.

7  Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
    fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
    over the man who carries out evil devices!

8  Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
    Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9  For the evildoers shall be cut off,
    but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.

10  In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
    though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
11  But the meek shall inherit the land
    and delight themselves in abundant peace.

12  The wicked plots against the righteous
    and gnashes his teeth at him,
13  but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he sees that his day is coming.

14  The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
    to bring down the poor and needy,
    to slay those whose way is upright;
15  their sword shall enter their own heart,
    and their bows shall be broken.

16  Better is the little that the righteous has
    than the abundance of many wicked.
17  For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
    but the LORD upholds the righteous.

18  The LORD knows the days of the blameless,
    and their heritage will remain forever;
19  they are not put to shame in evil times;
    in the days of famine they have abundance.

20  But the wicked will perish;
    the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures;
    they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

21  The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
    but the righteous is generous and gives;
22  for those blessed by the LORD ^{3 37:22 Hebrew by him} shall inherit the land,
    but those cursed by him shall be cut off.

23  The steps of a man are established by the LORD,
    when he delights in his way;
24  though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
    for the LORD upholds his hand.

25  I have been young, and now am old,
    yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
    or his children begging for bread.
26  He is ever lending generously,
    and his children become a blessing.

27  Turn away from evil and do good;
    so shall you dwell forever.
28  For the LORD loves justice;
    he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
    but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29  The righteous shall inherit the land
    and dwell upon it forever.

30  The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
    and his tongue speaks justice.
31  The law of his God is in his heart;
    his steps do not slip.

32  The wicked watches for the righteous
    and seeks to put him to death.
33  The LORD will not abandon him to his power
    or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.

34  Wait for the LORD and keep his way,
    and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
    you will look on when the wicked are cut off.

35  I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
    spreading himself like a green laurel tree. ^{4 37:35 The identity of this tree is uncertain}
36  But he passed away, ^{5 37:36 Or But one passed by} and behold, he was no more;
    though I sought him, he could not be found.

37  Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
    for there is a future for the man of peace.
38  But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
    the future of the wicked shall be cut off.

39  The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
    he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
40  The LORD helps them and delivers them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him.

Do Not Forsake Me, O LORD

A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering.

1  O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger,
    nor discipline me in your wrath!
2  For your arrows have sunk into me,
    and your hand has come down on me.

3  There is no soundness in my flesh
    because of your indignation;
there is no health in my bones
    because of my sin.
4  For my iniquities have gone over my head;
    like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.

5  My wounds stink and fester
    because of my foolishness,
6  I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;
    all the day I go about mourning.
7  For my sides are filled with burning,
    and there is no soundness in my flesh.
8  I am feeble and crushed;
    I groan because of the tumult of my heart.

9  O Lord, all my longing is before you;
    my sighing is not hidden from you.
10  My heart throbs; my strength fails me,
    and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.
11  My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague,
    and my nearest kin stand far off.

12  Those who seek my life lay their snares;
    those who seek my hurt speak of ruin
    and meditate treachery all day long.

13  But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear,
    like a mute man who does not open his mouth.
14  I have become like a man who does not hear,
    and in whose mouth are no rebukes.

15  But for you, O LORD, do I wait;
    it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.
16  For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me,
    who boast against me when my foot slips!”

17  For I am ready to fall,
    and my pain is ever before me.
18  I confess my iniquity;
    I am sorry for my sin.
19  But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty,
    and many are those who hate me wrongfully.
20  Those who render me evil for good
    accuse me because I follow after good.

21  Do not forsake me, O LORD!
    O my God, be not far from me!
22  Make haste to help me,
    O Lord, my salvation!

What Is the Measure of My Days?

To the choirmaster: to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

1  I said, “I will guard my ways,
    that I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth with a muzzle,
    so long as the wicked are in my presence.”
2  I was mute and silent;
    I held my peace to no avail,
and my distress grew worse.
3      My heart became hot within me.
As I mused, the fire burned;
    then I spoke with my tongue:

4  “O LORD, make me know my end
    and what is the measure of my days;
    let me know how fleeting I am!
5  Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,
    and my lifetime is as nothing before you.
Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah
6      Surely a man goes about as a shadow!
Surely for nothing ^{6 39:6 Hebrew Surely as a breath} they are in turmoil;
    man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

7  And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?
    My hope is in you.
8  Deliver me from all my transgressions.
    Do not make me the scorn of the fool!
9  I am mute; I do not open my mouth,
    for it is you who have done it.
10  Remove your stroke from me;
    I am spent by the hostility of your hand.
11  When you discipline a man
    with rebukes for sin,
you consume like a moth what is dear to him;
    surely all mankind is a mere breath! Selah

12  Hear my prayer, O LORD,
    and give ear to my cry;
    hold not your peace at my tears!
For I am a sojourner with you,
    a guest, like all my fathers.
13  Look away from me, that I may smile again,
    before I depart and am no more!”

My Help and My Deliverer

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1  I waited patiently for the LORD;
    he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2  He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
    out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
    making my steps secure.
3  He put a new song in my mouth,
    a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
    and put their trust in the LORD.

4  Blessed is the man who makes
    the LORD his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
    to those who go astray after a lie!
5  You have multiplied, O LORD my God,
    your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
    none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
    yet they are more than can be told.

6  In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
    but you have given me an open ear. ^{7 40:6 Hebrew ears you have dug for me}
Burnt offering and sin offering
    you have not required.
7  Then I said, “Behold, I have come;
    in the scroll of the book it is written of me:
8  I delight to do your will, O my God;
    your law is within my heart.”

9  I have told the glad news of deliverance ^{8 40:9 Hebrew righteousness; also verse 10}
    in the great congregation;
behold, I have not restrained my lips,
    as you know, O LORD.
10  I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
    I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
    from the great congregation.

11  As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain
    your mercy from me;
your steadfast love and your faithfulness will
    ever preserve me!
12  For evils have encompassed me
    beyond number;
my iniquities have overtaken me,
    and I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head;
    my heart fails me.

13  Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me!
    O LORD, make haste to help me!
14  Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether
    who seek to snatch away my life;
let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
    who delight in my hurt!
15  Let those be appalled because of their shame
    who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”

16  But may all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
    say continually, “Great is the LORD!”
17  As for me, I am poor and needy,
    but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
    do not delay, O my God!

O LORD, Be Gracious to Me

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1  Blessed is the one who considers the poor! ^{9 41:1 Or weak}
    In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him;
2  the LORD protects him and keeps him alive;
    he is called blessed in the land;
    you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
3  The LORD sustains him on his sickbed;
    in his illness you restore him to full health. ^{10 41:3 Hebrew you turn all his bed}

4  As for me, I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me;
    heal me, ^{11 41:4 Hebrew my soul} for I have sinned against you!”
5  My enemies say of me in malice,
    “When will he die, and his name perish?”
6  And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words,
    while his heart gathers iniquity;
    when he goes out, he tells it abroad.
7  All who hate me whisper together about me;
    they imagine the worst for me. ^{12 41:7 Or they devise evil against me}

8  They say, “A deadly thing is poured out ^{13 41:8 Or has fastened} on him;
    he will not rise again from where he lies.”
9  Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
    who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
10  But you, O LORD, be gracious to me,
    and raise me up, that I may repay them!

11  By this I know that you delight in me:
    my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.
12  But you have upheld me because of my integrity,
    and set me in your presence forever.

13  Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting!
    Amen and Amen.