Psalm 37:8-15
New English Translation
8 Do not be angry and frustrated.[a]
Do not fret. That only leads to trouble.
9 Wicked men[b] will be wiped out,[c]
but those who rely on the Lord are the ones who will possess the land.[d]
10 Evil men will soon disappear;[e]
you will stare at the spot where they once were, but they will be gone.[f]
11 But the oppressed will possess the land
and enjoy great prosperity.[g]
12 Evil men plot against the godly[h]
and viciously attack them.[i]
13 The Lord laughs in disgust[j] at them,
for he knows that their day is coming.[k]
14 Evil men draw their swords
and prepare their bows,
to bring down[l] the oppressed and needy,
and to slaughter those who are godly.[m]
15 Their swords will pierce[n] their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
Footnotes
- Psalm 37:8 tn Heb “Refrain from anger! Abandon rage!”
- Psalm 37:9 tn Heb “for evil men.” The conjunction כִּי (ki, “for”) relates to the exhortations in v. 8; there is no reason to be frustrated, for the evildoers will be punished in due time.
- Psalm 37:9 tn Or “cut off, removed.”
- Psalm 37:9 tn Heb “and those who wait on the Lord, they will possess the land.”
- Psalm 37:10 tn Heb “and yet, a little, there will be no wicked [one].”
- Psalm 37:10 tn Heb “and you will carefully look upon his place, but he will not be [there].” The singular is used here in a representative sense; the typical evildoer is in view.
- Psalm 37:11 tn Heb “and they will take delight in (see v. 4) abundance of peace.”
- Psalm 37:12 tn Or “innocent.” The singular is used here in a representative sense; the typical evildoer and the typical godly individual are in view.
- Psalm 37:12 tn Heb “and gnashes at him with his teeth” (see Ps 35:16). The language may picture the evil men as wild animals. The active participles in v. 12 are used for purposes of dramatic description.
- Psalm 37:13 tn Heb “laughs.” As the next line indicates, this refers to derisive laughter (see 2:4). The Hebrew imperfect verbal form describes the action from the perspective of an eye-witness who is watching the divine response as it unfolds before his eyes.
- Psalm 37:13 tn Heb “for he sees that his day is coming.” As the following context makes clear (vv. 15, 17, 19-20), “his day” refers to the time when God will destroy evildoers.
- Psalm 37:14 tn Heb “to cause to fall.”
- Psalm 37:14 tn Heb “the upright in way,” i.e., those who lead godly lives.
- Psalm 37:15 tn Heb “enter into.”
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