Psalms 37
1 BY DAVID. [ALEPH-BET] Do not fret because of evildoers, Do not be envious against doers of iniquity,
Do not be bothered/upset by what wicked [people do]. Do not desire to have the things that people who do wrong/evil have,
2 For they are cut off speedily as grass, And fade as the greenness of the tender grass.
because they will soon disappear, like grass withers [in the hot sun] and dries up. Just like some green plants [come up but] die [during the hot summer], evil people will soon die also.
3 Trust in YHWH, and do good, Dwell [in] the land, and enjoy faithfulness,
Trust in Yahweh, and do what is good; if you do that, you will live safely in the land [that he has given you], and you will live peacefully [MET].
4 And delight yourself on YHWH, And He gives to you the petitions of your heart.
Be delighted with all that Yahweh [does for you]; if you do that, he will give you the things that you desire most.
5 Roll your way on YHWH, And trust on Him, and He works,
Commit to Yahweh all the things that you plan to do; trust in him, and he will do [whatever is needed to help you].
6 And has brought out your righteousness as light, And your judgment as noon-day.
He will show [as clearly] as the sunlight that you (are innocent/have done nothing that is wrong); he will show [as clearly] as [the sun at] noontime [SIM] that all the things that you have decided are just.
7 Be silent for YHWH, and stay yourself for Him, Do not fret because of him Who is making his way prosperous, Because of a man doing wicked schemes.
Be quiet in Yahweh’s presence, and wait patiently for him [to do what you want him to do]. Do not be bothered/upset when what evil men do is successful, when they are able to do the wicked things that they plan.
8 Desist from anger, and forsake fury, Do not fret yourself to only do evil.
Do not be angry [about what wicked people do]. Do not want to punish them yourself. Do not be envious of such people because you will only harm [yourself if you try to envy them].
9 For evildoers are cut off, As for those waiting on YHWH, they possess the land.
[Some day Yahweh] will get rid of wicked people, but those who trust in Yahweh will live [safely] in the land [that he has given to them].
10 And yet a little [while], and the wicked is not, And you have considered his place, and it is not.
Soon the wicked will disappear. If you look for them, they will be gone.
11 And the humble possess the land, And they have delighted themselves In the abundance of peace.
But those who are humble will live safely in their land. They will happily enjoy living peacefully and having the other good things [that Yahweh gives them].
12 The wicked is devising against the righteous, And gnashing his teeth against him.
Wicked people plan to harm righteous/godly people; they snarl at them [MET] [like wild animals].
13 The Lord laughs at him, For He has seen that his day comes.
But Yahweh laughs [at them] because he knows that some day [MTY] [he will judge and punish] the wicked people.
14 The wicked have opened a sword, And they have bent their bow, To cause the poor and needy to fall, To slaughter the upright of the way.
Wicked people pull out their swords/daggers and they put strings on their bows, ready to kill people who are poor [DOU] and to slaughter those who live righteously.
15 Their sword enters into their own heart, And their bows are shattered.
But they will be killed by their own swords/daggers, and their bows will be broken.
16 Better [is] the little of the righteous, Than the store of many wicked.
It is good to be righteous/godly even if you do not have many possessions, but it is bad to be wicked, even if you are very wealthy,
17 For the arms of the wicked are shattered, And YHWH is sustaining the righteous.
because [Yahweh] will completely take away the strength of wicked people, but he will (sustain/take care of) people who live righteously.
18 YHWH knows the days of the perfect, And their inheritance is for all time.
Every day Yahweh cares about those who have not done any evil things; the things that Yahweh gives them will last forever.
19 They are not ashamed in a time of evil, And they are satisfied in days of famine.
They will survive when calamities occur; when there are famines, they will still have plenty to eat.
20 But the wicked perish, and the enemies of YHWH, Have been consumed as the preciousness of lambs, They have been consumed in smoke.
But wicked people will die; [just] like the beautiful wild flowers in the fields [die under the hot sun] and disappear like smoke [MET], Yahweh [will cause] his enemies to suddenly disappear.
21 The wicked is borrowing and does not repay, And the righteous is gracious and giving.
The wicked people borrow [money], but they are not able to repay it; righteous/godly people, [in contrast, have enough money that] they can give generously [to others].
22 For His blessed ones possess the land, And His reviled ones are cut off.
Those whom Yahweh has blessed will live safely in the land that he has given to them, but he will get rid of those people whom he has cursed.
23 The steps of a man [are] from YHWH, They have been prepared, And He desires his way.
Yahweh protects those who do what is pleasing to him, and he will enable them to walk confidently, wherever they go;
24 When he falls, he is not cast down, For YHWH is sustaining his hand.
even if they stumble, they will not fall down, because Yahweh holds them by his hand.
25 I have been young, I have also become old, And I have not seen the righteous forsaken, And his seed seeking bread.
I was young [previously], and now I am an old man, but [in all those years], I have never seen righteous/godly people being abandoned by Yahweh, nor have I seen that their children [needed to] beg for food.
26 All the day he is gracious and lending, And his seed [is] for a blessing.
Righteous/Godly people are generous, and happily lend [money to others], and their children are a blessing to them.
27 Turn aside from evil, and do good, and dwell for all time.
Turn away from [doing] evil, and do what is good. If you do that, you [and your descendants] will live in your land forever.
28 For YHWH is loving judgment, And He does not forsake His saintly ones, They have been kept for all time, And the seed of the wicked is cut off.
[That will happen] because Yahweh likes to see people doing what is just, and he will never forsake righteous/godly people. He will protect them forever; but he will get rid of the children of wicked people.
29 The righteous possess the land, And they dwell on it forever.
Righteous/Godly people will own the land [that Yahweh promised to give to them], and they will live there forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, And his tongue speaks judgment.
Righteous people give wise [advice to others], and they [MTY] say what is just/fair.
31 The law of his God [is] his heart, His steps do not slide.
They continually think about God’s laws; they do not stray from [God’s] path.
32 The wicked is watching for the righteous, And is seeking to put him to death.
Those who are evil wait in ambush for righteous people in order to kill them [as they walk by].
33 YHWH does not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him in his being judged.
But Yahweh will not abandon righteous people, and allow (them to fall into their enemies’ hands/their enemies harm them). And he will not allow righteous people to be condemned when someone takes them to a judge [to be put on trial].
34 Look to YHWH, and keep His way, And He exalts you to possess the land, In the wicked being cut off—you see!
Be patient and trust that Yahweh [will help you], and (walk on his paths/do what he wants you to do). [If you do that], he will honor you by giving you the land [that he promised], and when he gets rid of the wicked, you will see it happen.
35 I have seen the wicked terrible, And spreading as a green native plant,
I have seen that wicked people who (act like tyrants/terrify people) [sometimes] prosper, like trees that grow well in fertile soil,
36 And he passes away, and behold, he is not, And I seek him, and he is not found!
when I looked [later], they were gone! I searched for them, but [Yahweh had caused] them to disappear.
37 Observe the perfect, and see the upright, For the latter end of each [is] peace.
Notice the people who have not done evil things, those who act righteously: their descendants will have peace in their inner beings.
38 And transgressors were destroyed together, The latter end of the wicked was cut off.
But Yahweh will get rid of the wicked; he will also get rid of their descendants (OR, as a result, they will not have any descendants).
39 And the salvation of the righteous [is] from YHWH, Their strong place in a time of adversity.
Yahweh rescues righteous people; in times of trouble he protects them [MET].
40 And YHWH helps them and delivers them, He delivers them from the wicked, And saves them, Because they trusted in Him!
Yahweh helps them and saves them; he rescues them from [being attacked/harmed by] wicked people because they go to him to be protected [MET].
