Psalms 37
1 Do not be bothered/upset by what wicked [people do]. Do not desire to have the things that people who do wrong/evil have,
| לדוד אל תתחר במרעים אל תקנא בעשי עולה׃ |
2 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.
| כי כחציר מהרה ימלו וכירק דשא יבולון׃ |
3 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].
| בטח ביהוה ועשה טוב שכן ארץ ורעה אמונה׃ |
4 Be delighted with all that Yahweh [does for you]; if you do that, he will give you the things that you desire most.
| והתענג על יהוה ויתן לך משאלת לבך׃ |
5 Commit to Yahweh all the things that you plan to do; trust in him, and he will do [whatever is needed to help you].
| גול על יהוה דרכך ובטח עליו והוא יעשה׃ |
6 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.
| והוציא כאור צדקך ומשפטך כצהרים׃ |
7 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.
| דום ליהוה והתחולל לו אל תתחר במצליח דרכו באיש עשה מזמות׃ |
8 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].
| הרף מאף ועזב חמה אל תתחר אך להרע׃ |
9 [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].
| כי מרעים יכרתון וקוי יהוה המה יירשו ארץ׃ |
10 Soon the wicked will disappear. If you look for them, they will be gone.
| ועוד מעט ואין רשע והתבוננת על מקומו ואיננו׃ |
11 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].
| וענוים יירשו ארץ והתענגו על רב שלום׃ |
12 Wicked people plan to harm righteous/godly people; they snarl at them [MET] [like wild animals].
| זמם רשע לצדיק וחרק עליו שניו׃ |
13 But Yahweh laughs [at them] because he knows that some day [MTY] [he will judge and punish] the wicked people.
| אדני ישחק לו כי ראה כי יבא יומו׃ |
14 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.
| חרב פתחו רשעים ודרכו קשתם להפיל עני ואביון לטבוח ישרי דרך׃ |
15 But they will be killed by their own swords/daggers, and their bows will be broken.
| חרבם תבוא בלבם וקשתותם תשברנה׃ |
16 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,
| טוב מעט לצדיק מהמון רשעים רבים׃ |
17 because [Yahweh] will completely take away the strength of wicked people, but he will (sustain/take care of) people who live righteously.
| כי זרועות רשעים תשברנה וסומך צדיקים יהוה׃ |
18 Every day Yahweh cares about those who have not done any evil things; the things that Yahweh gives them will last forever.
| יודע יהוה ימי תמימם ונחלתם לעולם תהיה׃ |
19 They will survive when calamities occur; when there are famines, they will still have plenty to eat.
| לא יבשו בעת רעה ובימי רעבון ישבעו׃ |
20 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.
| כי רשעים יאבדו ואיבי יהוה כיקר כרים כלו בעשן כלו׃ |
21 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].
| לוה רשע ולא ישלם וצדיק חונן ונותן׃ |
22 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.
| כי מברכיו יירשו ארץ ומקלליו יכרתו׃ |
23 Yahweh protects those who do what is pleasing to him, and he will enable them to walk confidently, wherever they go;
| מיהוה מצעדי גבר כוננו ודרכו יחפץ׃ |
24 even if they stumble, they will not fall down, because Yahweh holds them by his hand.
| כי יפל לא יוטל כי יהוה סומך ידו׃ |
25 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.
| נער הייתי גם זקנתי ולא ראיתי צדיק נעזב וזרעו מבקש לחם׃ |
26 Righteous/Godly people are generous, and happily lend [money to others], and their children are a blessing to them.
| כל היום חונן ומלוה וזרעו לברכה׃ |
27 Turn away from [doing] evil, and do what is good. If you do that, you [and your descendants] will live in your land forever.
| סור מרע ועשה טוב ושכן לעולם׃ |
28 [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.
| כי יהוה אהב משפט ולא יעזב את חסידיו לעולם נשמרו וזרע רשעים נכרת׃ |
29 Righteous/Godly people will own the land [that Yahweh promised to give to them], and they will live there forever.
| צדיקים יירשו ארץ וישכנו לעד עליה׃ |
30 Righteous people give wise [advice to others], and they [MTY] say what is just/fair.
| פי צדיק יהגה חכמה ולשונו תדבר משפט׃ |
31 They continually think about God’s laws; they do not stray from [God’s] path.
| תורת אלהיו בלבו לא תמעד אשריו׃ |
32 Those who are evil wait in ambush for righteous people in order to kill them [as they walk by].
| צופה רשע לצדיק ומבקש להמיתו׃ |
33 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].
| יהוה לא יעזבנו בידו ולא ירשיענו בהשפטו׃ |
34 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.
| קוה אל יהוה ושמר דרכו וירוממך לרשת ארץ בהכרת רשעים תראה׃ |
35 I have seen that wicked people who (act like tyrants/terrify people) [sometimes] prosper, like trees that grow well in fertile soil,
| ראיתי רשע עריץ ומתערה כאזרח רענן׃ |
36 when I looked [later], they were gone! I searched for them, but [Yahweh had caused] them to disappear.
| ויעבר והנה איננו ואבקשהו ולא נמצא׃ |
37 Notice the people who have not done evil things, those who act righteously: their descendants will have peace in their inner beings.
| שמר תם וראה ישר כי אחרית לאיש שלום׃ |
38 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).
| ופשעים נשמדו יחדו אחרית רשעים נכרתה׃ |
39 Yahweh rescues righteous people; in times of trouble he protects them [MET].
| ותשועת צדיקים מיהוה מעוזם בעת צרה׃ |
40 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].
| ויעזרם יהוה ויפלטם יפלטם מרשעים ויושיעם כי חסו בו׃ |
