Psalm 37

Vex not thy selfe at the impiety
Of wicked men, nor their fraile height envy.
For they shall soone be mow'd, like Summers Hay;
And as the verdure of the Herbe decay.
Trust thou in God; doe good, and long in peace
Possesse the Land; refresht by her increase.
Be He thy sole delight; He shall inspire
Thy raised thoughts, and grant thy hearts desire
Relye, and to his care thy wayes commend,
Who will produce them to a happy end.
He shall thy Justice, like the Light display,
And make thy Judgement as the Height of Day.
Rest on the Lord, and patiently attend
His Heavenly Will: nor let it thee offend,
Because the wicked in their courses thrive;
And prosperously at their desires arrive.
Abstaine from anger, heady wrath eschew:
Nor fret thou, lest ill Deeds ill Thoughts pursue.
God will cut off the Bad, the Faithfull blesse;
Who shall the ever-fruitfull Land possesse.
After a while th'Vnjust shall cease to be;
Thou shalt his place consider, but not see.
The Meeke in heart shall reape the Lands increase,
And solace in the multitude of peace.
Against the Godly wicked Men conspire,
Gnash their malicious teeth, and fome with ire,
But God shall laugh at their impiety;
Because he knowes their Day of Doome is nigh.
They draw their bloudy Swords, their Bowes are bent,
To kill the needy, Poore, and Innocent.
But their proud hearts shall perish by the stroke
Of their owne Steele, their Bowes asunder broke.
That little which the Righteous hath, excels
Th'abundant wealth, wherein the Wicked swels.
For God the armes of violent Men will breake:
But shield the Righteous, and support the Weake.
His eyes behold the sufferings of the Poore:
Their firme possessions ever shall endure.
They in the time of danger shall not dread;
But shall in Famin's rage be fill'd with Bread.
When vitious men shall speedily decay:
And those who slight Jehovah, melt away
As fat of Lambs, which sacred Fires consume;
And forthwith vanish like the rising fume.
The Wicked borrow, never to restore:
The Just are gracious and relieve the Poore.
Whom God shall blesse, they shall the Land enjoy:
Whom God shall curse, them vengeance shall destroy.
The steps of Righteous men the Lord directs;
For He, even He their ordred paths affects.
Although they fall; yet fall to rise againe:
For his, His Care and powerfull Hand sustaine.
I have beene young, am old; yet never saw
The Just abandoned; nor those, who draw
From him their birth, with beggery opprest.
He lends in mercy, and his Seed are blest.
Doe good, shun evill, and remaine unmov'd;
For righteous Soules are of the Lord belov'd:
His undeserted Saints protecting still;
Their Plants up-rooting, who transgresse his Will.
Just men inherit shall the promis'd Land;
And dwell therein, while Mountaines stedfast stand.
The Righteous Soule of sacred Judgement speaks,
And from his lips a spring of wisdome breaks.
Gods Law is in his Heart; his Light, his Guide;
Nor shall his Feet in slippery places slide.
Men seeke his bloud; but God defends: nor shall
He by the sentence of the Wicked fall.
Wait on the Lord, nor his straight paths transgresse;
And evermore this pregnant Soile possesse.
But those who in iniquity delight,
Shall be cut off, and perish in thy sight.
The Wicked I have seene in wealth to flow,
Exceed in power, and like a Laurell grow:
Yet vanish hence, as he had never beene;
I sought him, but he was not to be seene.
Observe the perfect, and the pure of heart;
They die in peace, and happily depart.
But the Vngodly are at once cut downe,
And perish without pitty, or renowne.
The Lord is the salvation of the Just;
Their strength in trouble, since in him they trust:
Will those assist, who on his aide depend;
Deliver, and from impious Foes defend.