Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, PSALM 37. NOLI AEMULARI, by OLD TESTAMENT BIBLE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

PSALM 37. NOLI AEMULARI, by                    
First Line: Fret not thyself, if thou do see
Last Line: Because on him their trust is laid.


Fret not thyself, if thou do see
That wicked men do seem to flourish,
Nor envy in thy bosom nourish
Though ill deeds well succeeding be.
They soon shall be cut down like grass,
And wither like green herb or flower;
Do well and trust on heavenly power,
Thou shalt have both good food and place.

Delight in God and He shall breed
The fullness of thy own heart's lusting;
Guide thee by Him, lay all thy trusting
On Him and He will make it speed.
For like the light He shall display
Thy justice in most shining luster,
And of thy judgment make a muster
Like to the glory of noonday.

Wait on the Lord with patient hope,
Chafe not at some man's great good fortune
Though all his plots without misfortune
Attain unto their wished scope.
Fume not, rage not, fret not, I say,
Lest such things sin in thyself cherish;
For those bad folks at last shall perish;
Who stay for God, in bliss shall stay.

Watch but a while, and thou shalt see
The wicked by his own pride banished;
Look after him, he shall be vanished
And never found again shall be.
But meek men shall the earth possess;
In quiet home they shall be planted;
And this delight to them is granted,
They shall have peace in plenteousness.

Evil men work ill to utmost right,
Gnashing their teeth full of disdaining;
But God shall scorn their moody meaning,
For their short time is in His sight.
The evil bent bows, and swords they drew,
To have their hate on good souls wroken;
But lo, their bows, they shall be broken,
Their swords shall their own hearts embrew.

Small goods in good men better is
Than of bad folks the wealthy wonder,
For wicked arms shall break asunder,
But God upholds the just in bliss.
God keeps account of good men's days,
Their heritage shall last forever;
In peril they shall perish never,
Nor want in dearth their want to ease.

Bad folks shall fall, and fall for aye,
Who to make war with God presumed;
Like fat of lambs shall be consumed;
Even with the smoke shall waste away.
The naughty borrows paying not,
The good is kind and freely giveth;
Lo, whom God blest, he blessed liveth;
Whom He doth curse, to naught shall rot.

The man whom God directs both stand
Firm on his way, his way God loveth;
Though he do fall no wrack he proveth;
He is upheld by heavenly hand.
I have been young; now old I am,
Yet I the man that was betaken
To justice never saw forsaken,
Nor that his seed to begging came.

He lends, he gives, more he doth spend,
The more his seed in blessing flourish;
They fly all evil and goodness nourish,
And Thy good state shall never end.
God, loving right, doth not forsake
His holy ones; they are preserved
From time to time; but who be swerved
To evil, both they and theirs shall wrack.

I say, I say the righteous minds
Shall have the land in their possessing,
Shall dwell thereon, and this their blessing
No time within his limits binds.
The good mouth will in wisdom bide,
His tongue of heavenly judgments telleth,
For God's high law in his heart dwelleth.
What comes thereof? He shall not slide.

The wicked watch the righteous much
And seek of life for to bereave him;
But in their hand God will not leave him,
Nor let him be condemned by such.
Wait thou on God and keep His way,
He will exalt thee unto honor
And of the earth make thee an owner,
Yea, thou shalt see the evil decay.

I have the wicked seen full sound,
Like laurel fresh himself out-spreading.
Lo, he was gone, print of his treading,
Though I did seek, I never found.
Mark the upright, the just attend,
His end shall be in peace enjoyed;
But strayers vile shall be destroyed,
And quite cut off with helpless end.

Still, still the godly shall be stayed
By God's most sure and sweet salvation;
In time of greatest tribulation
He shall be their true strength and aid.
He shall be their true strength and aid,
He shall save them from all the fetches
Against them used by wicked wretches,
Because on Him their trust is laid.





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