Here There and Everywhere

Do Not Fret Because of Evildoers

From today’s Lectionary Readings

Psalm 37

Part I Noli æmulari

1 Do not fret yourself because of evildoers; *
do not be jealous of those who do wrong.

2 For they shall soon wither like the grass, *
and like the green grass fade away.

3 Put your trust in the Lord and do good; *
dwell in the land and feed on its riches.

4 Take delight in the Lord, *
and he shall give you your heart’s desire.

5 Commit your way to the Lord and put your trust in him, *
and he will bring it to pass.

6 He will make your righteousness as clear as the light *
and your just dealing as the noonday.

7 Be still before the Lord *
and wait patiently for him.

8 Do not fret yourself over the one who prospers, *
the one who succeeds in evil schemes.

9 Refrain from anger, leave rage alone; *
do not fret yourself; it leads only to evil.

10 For evildoers shall be cut off, *
but those who wait upon the Lord shall possess the land.

11 In a little while the wicked shall be no more; *
you shall search out their place, but they will not be there.

12 But the lowly shall possess the land; *
they will delight in abundance of peace.

13 The wicked plot against the righteous *
and gnash at them with their teeth.

14 The Lord laughs at the wicked, *
because he sees that their day will come.

15 The wicked draw their sword and bend their bow
to strike down the poor and needy, *
to slaughter those who are upright in their ways.

16 Their sword shall go through their own heart, *
and their bow shall be broken.

17 The little that the righteous has *
is better than great riches of the wicked.

18 For the power of the wicked shall be broken, *
but the Lord upholds the righteous.

19 The Lord cares for the lives of the godly, *
and their inheritance shall last for ever.

20 They shall not be ashamed in bad times, *
and in days of famine they shall have enough.

21 As for the wicked, they shall perish, *
and the enemies of the Lord, like the glory of
the meadows, shall vanish;
they shall vanish like smoke.

22 The wicked borrow and do not repay, *
but the righteous are generous in giving.

23 Those who are blessed by God shall possess the land, *
but those who are cursed by him shall be destroyed.

24 Our steps are directed by the Lord; *
he strengthens those in whose way he delights.

25 If they stumble, they shall not fall headlong, *
for the Lord holds them by the hand.

26 I have been young and now I am old, *
but never have I seen the righteous forsaken,
or their children begging bread.

27 The righteous are always generous in their lending, *
and their children shall be a blessing.

28 Turn from evil, and do good, *
and dwell in the land for ever.

29 For the Lord loves justice; *
he does not forsake his faithful ones.

30 They shall be kept safe for ever, *
but the offspring of the wicked shall be destroyed.

31 The righteous shall possess the land *
and dwell in it for ever.

32 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, *
and their tongue speaks what is right.

33 The law of their God is in their heart, *
and their footsteps shall not falter.

34 The wicked spy on the righteous *
and seek occasion to kill them.

35 The Lord will not abandon them to their hand, *
nor let them be found guilty when brought to trial.

36 Wait upon the Lord and keep his way; *
he will raise you up to possess the land,
and when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

37 I have seen the wicked in their arrogance, *
flourishing like a tree in full leaf.

38 I went by, and behold, they were not there; *
I searched for them, but they could not be found.

39 Mark those who are honest;
observe the upright; *
for there is a future for the peaceable.

40 Transgressors shall be destroyed, one and all; *
the future of the wicked is cut off.

41 But the deliverance of the righteous comes from the Lord; *
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

42 The Lord will help them and rescue them; *
he will rescue them from the wicked and deliver them,
because they seek refuge in him.

October 22, 2026 - Posted by intlxpatr | Civility, Faith, Lectionary Readings