Psalms 36; Psalms 37; Psalms 38; Psalms 39

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Psalms 36

1 Sin speaks to the wicked deep in their hearts; they reject God and do not have reverence for him.
2 Because they think so highly of themselves, they think that God will not discover their sin and condemn it.
3 Their speech is wicked and full of lies; they no longer do what is wise and good.
4 They make evil plans as they lie in bed; nothing they do is good, and they never reject anything evil.
5 Lord, your constant love reaches the heavens; your faithfulness extends to the skies.
6 Your righteousness is towering like the mountains; your justice is like the depths of the sea. People and animals are in your care.
7 How precious, O God, is your constant love! We find protection under the shadow of your wings.
8 We feast on the abundant food you provide; you let us drink from the river of your goodness.
9 You are the source of all life, and because of your light we see the light.
10 Continue to love those who know you and to do good to those who are righteous.
11 Do not let proud people attack me or the wicked make me run away.
12 See where evil people have fallen. There they lie, unable to rise.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.

Psalms 37

1 Don't be worried on account of the wicked; don't be jealous of those who do wrong.
2 They will soon disappear like grass that dries up; they will die like plants that wither.
3 Trust in the Lord and do good; live in the land and be safe.
4 Seek your happiness in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desire.
5 Give yourself to the Lord; trust in him, and he will help you;
6 he will make your righteousness shine like the noonday sun.
7 Be patient and wait for the Lord to act; don't be worried about those who prosper or those who succeed in their evil plans.
8 Don't give in to worry or anger; it only leads to trouble.
9 Those who trust in the Lord will possess the land, but the wicked will be driven out.
10 Soon the wicked will disappear; you may look for them, but you won't find them;
11 but the humble will possess the land and enjoy prosperity and peace.
12 The wicked plot against good people and glare at them with hate.
13 But the Lord laughs at wicked people, because he knows they will soon be destroyed.
14 The wicked draw their swords and bend their bows to kill the poor and needy, to slaughter those who do what is right;
15 but they will be killed by their own swords, and their bows will be smashed.
16 The little that a good person owns is worth more than the wealth of all the wicked,
17 because the Lord will take away the strength of the wicked, but protect those who are good.
18 The Lord takes care of those who obey him, and the land will be theirs forever.
19 They will not suffer when times are bad; they will have enough in time of famine.
20 But the wicked will die; the enemies of the Lord will vanish like wild flowers; they will disappear like smoke.
21 The wicked borrow and never pay back, but good people are generous with their gifts.
22 Those who are blessed by the Lord will possess the land, but those who are cursed by him will be driven out.
23 The Lord guides us in the way we should go and protects those who please him.
24 If they fall, they will not stay down, because the Lord will help them up.
25 I am old now; I have lived a long time, but I have never seen good people abandoned by the Lord or their children begging for food.
26 At all times they give freely and lend to others, and their children are a blessing.
27 Turn away from evil and do good, and your descendants will always live in the land;
28 for the Lord loves what is right and does not abandon his faithful people. He protects them forever, but the descendants of the wicked will be driven out.
29 The righteous will possess the land and live in it forever.
30 The words of good people are wise, and they are always fair.
31 They keep the law of their God in their hearts and never depart from it.
32 Wicked people watch good people and try to kill them;
33 but the Lord will not abandon them to their enemy's power or let them be condemned when they are on trial.
34 Put your hope in the Lord and obey his commands; he will honor you by giving you the land, and you will see the wicked driven out.
35 I once knew someone wicked who was a tyrant; he towered over everyone like a cedar of Lebanon;
36 but later I passed by, and he wasn't there; I looked for him, but couldn't find him.
37 Notice good people, observe the righteous; peaceful people have descendants,
38 but sinners are completely destroyed, and their descendants are wiped out.
39 The Lord saves the righteous and protects them in times of trouble.
40 He helps them and rescues them; he saves them from the wicked, because they go to him for protection.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.

Psalms 38

1 O Lord, don't punish me in your anger!
2 You have wounded me with your arrows; you have struck me down.
3 Because of your anger, I am in great pain; my whole body is diseased because of my sins.
4 I am drowning in the flood of my sins; they are a burden too heavy to bear.
5 Because I have been foolish, my sores stink and rot.
6 I am bent over, I am crushed; I mourn all day long.
7 I am burning with fever and I am near death.
8 I am worn out and utterly crushed; my heart is troubled, and I groan with pain.
9 O Lord, you know what I long for; you hear all my groans.
10 My heart is pounding, my strength is gone, and my eyes have lost their brightness.
11 My friends and neighbors will not come near me, because of my sores; even my family keeps away from me.
12 Those who want to kill me lay traps for me, and those who want to hurt me threaten to ruin me; they never stop plotting against me.
13 I am like the deaf and cannot hear, like the dumb and cannot speak.
14 I am like those who do not answer, because they cannot hear.
15 But I trust in you, O Lord; and you, O Lord my God, will answer me.
16 Don't let my enemies gloat over my distress; don't let them boast about my downfall!
17 I am about to fall and am in constant pain.
18 I confess my sins; they fill me with anxiety.
19 My enemies are healthy and strong; there are many who hate me for no reason.
20 Those who pay back evil for good are against me because I try to do right.
21 Do not abandon me, O Lord; do not stay away, my God!
22 Help me now, O Lord my savior!
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.

Psalms 39

1 I said, "I will be careful about what I do and will not let my tongue make me sin; I will not say anything while evil people are near."
2 I kept quiet, not saying a word, not even about anything good! But my suffering only grew worse,
3 and I was overcome with anxiety. The more I thought, the more troubled I became; I could not keep from asking:
4 "Lord, how long will I live? When will I die? Tell me how soon my life will end."
5 How short you have made my life! In your sight my lifetime seems nothing. Indeed every living being is no more than a puff of wind,
6 no more than a shadow. All we do is for nothing; we gather wealth, but don't know who will get it.
7 What, then, can I hope for, Lord? I put my hope in you.
8 Save me from all my sins, and don't let fools make fun of me.
9 I will keep quiet, I will not say a word, for you are the one who made me suffer like this.
10 Don't punish me any more! I am about to die from your blows.
11 You punish our sins by your rebukes, and like a moth you destroy what we love. Indeed we are no more than a puff of wind!
12 Hear my prayer, Lord, and listen to my cry; come to my aid when I weep. Like all my ancestors I am only your guest for a little while.
13 Leave me alone so that I may have some happiness before I go away and am no more.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.