Psalmowo 37
1 David ƒe ha. Mègadzo nyanyanya le ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ta, alo aʋã ŋu nu tovo wɔlawo o
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 elabena esusɔ vie woayrɔ abe gbe ene, eye abe gbe mumu ene la, woaku wo atsɔ aƒu gbe.
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 Ɖo dzi ɖe Yehowa ŋu, eye nàwɔ nyui; nɔ anyigba la dzi, eye nàɖu eƒe nu nyuiwo le dziɖeɖi me.
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 Yehowa ƒe nu nenyo ŋuwò ekema ana nu siwo wò dzi di la wò.
Be delighted with all that Yahweh [does for you]; if you do that, he will give you the things that you desire most.
5 Tsɔ wò mɔwo gblẽ ɖe Yehowa ƒe asi me; ɖo dzi ɖe eŋu, eye awɔ esia na wò.
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 Ana wò dzɔdzɔenyenye nàdze abe ŋdikekeli ene, eye wò dzɔdzɔenyenye ƒe mɔ abe ŋdɔkutsuɣe ene.
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 Zi kpoo le Yehowa ŋkume, eye nànɔ eƒe asinu kpɔm le dzigbɔɖi me. Ne amewo ƒe mɔwo dze edzi na wo, eye wote ŋu wɔ nu vɔ̃ɖi siwo woɖo la, mègavɔ̃ nàdzo nyanyanya o.
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 Ɖe asi le dziku ŋu, eye nàtrɔ megbe de wò dɔmedzoe, ŋɔ megadzi wò o, elabena nu vɔ̃ɖi me ko wòakplɔ wò ayii.
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 Woatsrɔ̃ ame vlowo gake ame siwo tsɔ woƒe mɔkpɔkpɔ de Yehowa me la, anyi anyigba la ƒe dome.
[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 Esusɔ vie ko ame vɔ̃ɖi la maganɔ anyi o, togbɔ be àdi wo hã la, màkpɔ wo o.
Soon the wicked will disappear. If you look for them, they will be gone.
11 Ke ame fafawo anyi anyigba la ƒe dome, eye dzi adzɔ wo le ŋutifafa gbogbo la ta.
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 Ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ɖo nugbe ɖe ame dzɔdzɔewo ŋu heɖu aɖukli ɖe wo ŋuti.
Wicked people plan to harm righteous/godly people; they snarl at them [MET] [like wild animals].
13 Ke Aƒetɔ la le ame vɔ̃ɖiwo kom, elabena enya be woƒe ŋkeke la gbɔna.
But Yahweh laughs [at them] because he knows that some day [MTY] [he will judge and punish] the wicked people.
14 Ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ɖe woƒe yi, eye wohe woƒe dati me be woada hiãtɔ kple ame dahe aƒu anyi, eye woawu ame siwo ƒe zɔzɔme to mɔ ɖeka.
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 Gake woƒe yiwo aŋɔ woawo ŋutɔ ƒe dziwo, eye woƒe datiwo aŋe.
But they will be killed by their own swords/daggers, and their bows will be broken.
16 Nu ʋɛ si le ame dzɔdzɔewo si la nyo wu kesinɔnu gbogbo siwo le ame vɔ̃ɖiwo si,
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 elabena woaŋe ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe ŋusẽ, ke Yehowa alé ame dzɔdzɔewo ɖe te.
because [Yahweh] will completely take away the strength of wicked people, but he will (sustain/take care of) people who live righteously.
18 Ame siwo ŋuti fɔɖiɖi mele o la ƒe ŋkekewo le nyanya na Yehowa, eye woƒe domenyinu anɔ anyi tegbetegbe.
Every day Yahweh cares about those who have not done any evil things; the things that Yahweh gives them will last forever.
19 Le ŋkeke vɔ̃wo dzi la, womalũ xɛ o; le dɔŋɔli la, nuɖuɖu ado agbogbo na woawo ya.
They will survive when calamities occur; when there are famines, they will still have plenty to eat.
20 Ke ame vɔ̃ɖi ya atsrɔ̃. Yehowa ƒe futɔwo anɔ abe gbe ƒe seƒoƒo ene, woanya kpɔ nyuie, gake wo nu ava yi, woabu abe dzudzɔ ene.
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 Ame vɔ̃ɖi doa nugbana, eye mexea fea o, ke ame dzɔdzɔe ya naa nu faa.
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 Ame siwo Yehowa yra la anyi anyigba la ƒe dome, ke ame siwo wòƒo fi de la, woaɖe wo ɖa.
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 Ŋutsu si ƒe mɔwo dze Yehowa ŋu la, elia ke eƒe afɔɖeɖewo;
Yahweh protects those who do what is pleasing to him, and he will enable them to walk confidently, wherever they go;
24 ne ekli nu hã la, madze anyi o elabena Yehowa tsɔ eƒe asi lée ɖe te.
even if they stumble, they will not fall down, because Yahweh holds them by his hand.
25 Tsã la, menye ɖevi, ke azɔ la metsi, gake womegble ame dzɔdzɔe aɖeke ɖi mekpɔ kpɔ loo, alo wo viwo nabia abolo hafi aɖu o.
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 Woawo boŋ vea ame nu ɣe sia ɣi, eye wodoa nugbana na amewo faa; eya ta wo viwo axɔ yayra.
Righteous/Godly people are generous, and happily lend [money to others], and their children are a blessing to them.
27 Tsri nu vɔ̃ɖi, eye nàwɔ nyui ekema ànɔ anyigba dzi tegbetegbe.
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 Elabena Yehowa lɔ̃a nu dzɔdzɔe wɔlawo, eye magblẽ eƒe nuteƒewɔlawo ɖi o. Akpɔ wo ta tegbee, ke ame vɔ̃ɖi ƒe dzidzimeviwo ya woatsrɔ̃ wo.
[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 Ame dzɔdzɔe anyi anyigba la ƒe dome, eye wòanɔ edzi tegbee.
Righteous/Godly people will own the land [that Yahweh promised to give to them], and they will live there forever.
30 Nunyanya doa go tso ame dzɔdzɔe ƒe nu me, eye eƒe aɖe gblɔa nu si le eteƒe.
Righteous people give wise [advice to others], and they [MTY] say what is just/fair.
31 Eƒe Mawu ƒe se le eƒe dzi me, eya ta eƒe afɔ meɖiɖina o.
They continually think about God’s laws; they do not stray from [God’s] path.
32 Ame vɔ̃ɖiwo de xa ɖi na ame dzɔdzɔewo, eye wole woƒe ku dim;
Those who are evil wait in ambush for righteous people in order to kill them [as they walk by].
33 gake Yehowa matsɔ wo agblẽ ɖe woƒe ŋusẽ te, alo wòaɖe mɔ be, woabu fɔ wo ne wokplɔ wo va ʋɔnui o.
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 Lala nàkpɔ Yehowa ƒe asinu, eye nàlé eƒe mɔ ɖe asi. Ado wò ɖe dzi be nànyi anyigba la ƒe dome. Ne woatsrɔ̃ ame vɔ̃ɖiwo la, àkpɔ eteƒe.
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 Mekpɔ ame vɔ̃ɖi, ŋutasẽla aɖe wòda ama nyuie abe ati dama si dzɔ kple anyigba la ene.
I have seen that wicked people who (act like tyrants/terrify people) [sometimes] prosper, like trees that grow well in fertile soil,
36 Gake eteƒe medidi o ko, enu va yi, eye megali o; togbɔ be medii hã la, nyemeke ɖe eŋuti o.
when I looked [later], they were gone! I searched for them, but [Yahweh had caused] them to disappear.
37 Bu ame maɖifɔ la ŋu, eye nàlé ŋku ɖe ame dzɔdzɔewo ŋu, elabena ŋgɔgbe li na ŋutifafamewo katã.
Notice the people who have not done evil things, those who act righteously: their descendants will have peace in their inner beings.
38 Ke woatsrɔ̃ nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo katã, eye woaɖe ame vɔ̃ɖi la ɖa.
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 Ame dzɔdzɔewo ƒe xɔxɔ atso Yehowa gbɔ, eye eyae nye woƒe mɔ sesẽ le xaxaɣeyiɣiwo me.
Yahweh rescues righteous people; in times of trouble he protects them [MET].
40 Ke Yehowa kpena ɖe wo ŋu, eye wòɖea wo tso dzɔgbevɔ̃e me; eɖea wo tso ame vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe asi me, eye wòkpena ɖe wo ŋu, elabena eyae wosi tso.
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].
