义人和恶人的结局

大卫的诗。

37 不要因为恶人而烦恼,
也不要羡慕作恶之人,
因为他们如瞬息枯萎的草芥,
又如转眼消逝的绿草。

要信靠耶和华,要行善,
要在这片土地上安然度日。
要以耶和华为乐,
祂必成全你的愿望。
要把一切交托给耶和华,
信靠祂,祂必帮助你,
使你的公义如晨光照耀,
你的仁义如日中天。
要在耶和华面前安静,
耐心等候祂,
不要因恶人道路通达、阴谋得逞而愤愤不平。
你要抑制怒气,除掉愤怒;
不要心怀不平,
那会导致你作恶。
因为作恶的终必灭亡,
但等候耶和华的必承受土地。
10 再过片刻,恶人必不复存在,
无处可寻。
11 但谦卑人必承受土地,
得享太平。

12 恶人谋害义人,
对他们咬牙切齿。
13 但耶和华嗤笑邪恶人,
因为祂知道他们末日将临。
14 恶人拔剑张弓要消灭穷苦人,
杀戮正直人,
15 但他们的剑必刺穿自己的心,
他们的弓必被折断。

16 义人淡泊一生强过恶人财富如山。
17 因为恶人的势力终必瓦解,
耶和华必扶持义人。
18 耶和华天天看顾纯全无过的人,
他们的产业永远长存。
19 他们在灾难中不致绝望,
在饥荒时仍得饱足。
20 但恶人必灭亡,
上帝的仇敌必像野地枯萎的花草,
消逝如烟。

21 恶人借债不还,
义人慷慨给予。
22 蒙耶和华赐福的人必承受土地,
被耶和华咒诅的人必遭铲除。
23 耶和华引领义人的脚步,
喜悦他们所走的路。
24 他们即使失脚,也不会跌倒,
因为耶和华的手扶持他们。

25 从幼年到老年,
我从未见过义人遭弃,
也未见其后人讨饭。
26 他们乐善好施,
后代都蒙祝福。

27 你要离恶行善,
就必永远安居。
28 因为耶和华喜爱正义,
不丢弃信靠祂的人,
永远保护他们。
恶人的后代必被铲除。
29 义人必承受土地,
在地上永远安居。

30 义人口出智慧,诉说正义,
31 铭记上帝的律法,
从不失脚。

32 恶人窥探义人,
伺机谋害。
33 但耶和华不会让恶人得逞,
也不会让义人在审判时被定罪。

34 要等候耶和华,
坚守祂的道,
祂必赐你土地,使你有尊荣。
你必亲眼看见恶人被铲除。
35 我见过邪恶残暴之人,
乍看如葱茏的黎巴嫩香柏树,
36 再一看,
他已经消失得无影无踪,
无处可寻。
37 你看那纯全正直、爱好和平的人,
他们前途美好。
38 罪人必遭毁灭,
恶人必被铲除。
39 耶和华拯救义人,
患难时作他们的庇护所。
40 耶和华帮助他们,
拯救他们脱离恶人,
因为他们投靠祂。

Instruction in Wisdom

Of David.

37 Do not be agitated by evildoers;
do not envy those who do wrong.(A)
For they wither quickly like grass
and wilt like tender green plants.(B)

Trust in the Lord and do what is good;(C)
dwell in the land and live securely.[a](D)
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.(E)

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act,(F)
making your righteousness shine like the dawn,
your justice like the noonday.(G)

Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for him;(H)
do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way,
by the person who carries out evil plans.(I)

Refrain from anger and give up your rage;
do not be agitated – it can only bring harm.(J)
For evildoers will be destroyed,
but those who put their hope in the Lord
will inherit the land.(K)

10 A little while, and the wicked person will be no more;
though you look for him, he will not be there.(L)
11 But the humble will inherit the land(M)
and will enjoy abundant prosperity.(N)

12 The wicked person schemes against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him.(O)
13 The Lord laughs at him(P)
because he sees that his day is coming.(Q)

14 The wicked have drawn the sword and strung the[b] bow
to bring down the poor and needy
and to slaughter those whose way is upright.(R)
15 Their swords will enter their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.(S)

16 The little that the righteous person has is better
than the abundance of many wicked people.(T)
17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken,(U)
but the Lord supports the righteous.(V)

18 The Lord watches over the blameless all their days,
and their inheritance will last for ever.(W)
19 They will not be disgraced in times of adversity;
they will be satisfied in days of hunger.(X)

20 But the wicked will perish;
the Lord’s enemies, like the glory of the pastures,
will fade away –
they will fade away like smoke.(Y)

21 The wicked person borrows and does not repay,
but the righteous one is gracious and giving.(Z)
22 Those who are blessed by the Lord will inherit the land,
but those cursed by him will be destroyed.(AA)

23 A person’s steps are established by the Lord,
and he takes pleasure in his way.(AB)
24 Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed,
because the Lord supports him with his hand.(AC)

25 I have been young and now I am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned
or his children begging for bread.(AD)
26 He is always generous, always lending,
and his children are a blessing.(AE)

27 Turn away from evil, do what is good,
and settle permanently.(AF)
28 For the Lord loves justice
and will not abandon his faithful ones.(AG)
They are kept safe for ever,
but the children of the wicked will be destroyed.(AH)
29 The righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it permanently.(AI)

30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom;
his tongue speaks what is just.(AJ)
31 The instruction of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not falter.(AK)

32 The wicked one lies in wait for the righteous
and intends to kill him;(AL)
33 the Lord will not leave him
in the power of the wicked one
or allow him to be condemned when he is judged.(AM)

34 Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land.
You will watch when the wicked are destroyed.(AN)

35 I have seen a wicked, violent person
well-rooted,[c] like a flourishing native tree.(AO)
36 Then I[d] passed by and noticed he was gone;
I searched for him, but he could not be found.(AP)

37 Watch the blameless and observe the upright,
for the person of peace will have a future.[e](AQ)
38 But transgressors will all be eliminated;
the future of the wicked will be destroyed.(AR)

39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord,
their refuge in a time of distress.(AS)
40 The Lord helps and delivers them;
he will deliver them from the wicked and will save them
because they take refuge in him.(AT)

Footnotes

  1. 37:3 Or and cultivate faithfulness, or and befriend faithfulness
  2. 37:14 Lit their
  3. 37:35 Hb obscure
  4. 37:36 LXX, Syr, Vg, Jer; MT reads he
  5. 37:37 Or posterity, also in v. 38