Ψαλμοί 37
1 τοῦ Δαυιδ μὴ παραζήλου ἐν πονηρευομένοις μηδὲ ζήλου τοὺς ποιοῦντας τὴν ἀνομίαν
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 ὅτι ὡσεὶ χόρτος ταχὺ ἀποξηρανθήσονται καὶ ὡσεὶ λάχανα χλόης ταχὺ ἀποπεσοῦνται
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 ἔλπισον ἐπὶ κύριον καὶ ποίει χρηστότητα καὶ κατασκήνου τὴν γῆν καὶ ποιμανθήσῃ ἐπὶ τῷ πλούτῳ αὐτῆς
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 κατατρύφησον τοῦ κυρίου καὶ δώσει σοι τὰ αἰτήματα τῆς καρδίας σου
Be delighted with all that Yahweh [does for you]; if you do that, he will give you the things that you desire most.
5 ἀποκάλυψον πρὸς κύριον τὴν ὁδόν σου καὶ ἔλπισον ἐπ’ αὐτόν καὶ αὐτὸς ποιήσει
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 καὶ ἐξοίσει ὡς φῶς τὴν δικαιοσύνην σου καὶ τὸ κρίμα σου ὡς μεσημβρίαν
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 ὑποτάγηθι τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ ἱκέτευσον αὐτόν μὴ παραζήλου ἐν τῷ κατευοδουμένῳ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ ποιοῦντι παρανομίας
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 παῦσαι ἀπὸ ὀργῆς καὶ ἐγκατάλιπε θυμόν μὴ παραζήλου ὥστε πονηρεύεσθαι
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 ὅτι οἱ πονηρευόμενοι ἐξολεθρευθήσονται οἱ δὲ ὑπομένοντες τὸν κύριον αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσιν γῆν
[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 καὶ ἔτι ὀλίγον καὶ οὐ μὴ ὑπάρξῃ ὁ ἁμαρτωλός καὶ ζητήσεις τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐ μὴ εὕρῃς
Soon the wicked will disappear. If you look for them, they will be gone.
11 οἱ δὲ πραεῖς κληρονομήσουσιν γῆν καὶ κατατρυφήσουσιν ἐπὶ πλήθει εἰρήνης
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 παρατηρήσεται ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς τὸν δίκαιον καὶ βρύξει ἐπ’ αὐτὸν τοὺς ὀδόντας αὐτοῦ
Wicked people plan to harm righteous/godly people; they snarl at them [MET] [like wild animals].
13 ὁ δὲ κύριος ἐκγελάσεται αὐτόν ὅτι προβλέπει ὅτι ἥξει ἡ ἡμέρα αὐτοῦ
But Yahweh laughs [at them] because he knows that some day [MTY] [he will judge and punish] the wicked people.
14 ῥομφαίαν ἐσπάσαντο οἱ ἁμαρτωλοί ἐνέτειναν τόξον αὐτῶν τοῦ καταβαλεῖν πτωχὸν καὶ πένητα τοῦ σφάξαι τοὺς εὐθεῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ
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 ἡ ῥομφαία αὐτῶν εἰσέλθοι εἰς τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ τόξα αὐτῶν συντριβείησαν
But they will be killed by their own swords/daggers, and their bows will be broken.
16 κρεῖσσον ὀλίγον τῷ δικαίῳ ὑπὲρ πλοῦτον ἁμαρτωλῶν πολύν
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 ὅτι βραχίονες ἁμαρτωλῶν συντριβήσονται ὑποστηρίζει δὲ τοὺς δικαίους κύριος
because [Yahweh] will completely take away the strength of wicked people, but he will (sustain/take care of) people who live righteously.
18 γινώσκει κύριος τὰς ὁδοὺς τῶν ἀμώμων καὶ ἡ κληρονομία αὐτῶν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἔσται
Every day Yahweh cares about those who have not done any evil things; the things that Yahweh gives them will last forever.
19 οὐ καταισχυνθήσονται ἐν καιρῷ πονηρῷ καὶ ἐν ἡμέραις λιμοῦ χορτασθήσονται
They will survive when calamities occur; when there are famines, they will still have plenty to eat.
20 ὅτι οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἀπολοῦνται οἱ δὲ ἐχθροὶ τοῦ κυρίου ἅμα τῷ δοξασθῆναι αὐτοὺς καὶ ὑψωθῆναι ἐκλιπόντες ὡσεὶ καπνὸς ἐξέλιπον
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 δανείζεται ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς καὶ οὐκ ἀποτείσει ὁ δὲ δίκαιος οἰκτίρει καὶ διδοῖ
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 ὅτι οἱ εὐλογοῦντες αὐτὸν κληρονομήσουσι γῆν οἱ δὲ καταρώμενοι αὐτὸν ἐξολεθρευθήσονται
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 παρὰ κυρίου τὰ διαβήματα ἀνθρώπου κατευθύνεται καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ θελήσει
Yahweh protects those who do what is pleasing to him, and he will enable them to walk confidently, wherever they go;
24 ὅταν πέσῃ οὐ καταραχθήσεται ὅτι κύριος ἀντιστηρίζει χεῖρα αὐτοῦ
even if they stumble, they will not fall down, because Yahweh holds them by his hand.
25 νεώτερος ἐγενόμην καὶ γὰρ ἐγήρασα καὶ οὐκ εἶδον δίκαιον ἐγκαταλελειμμένον οὐδὲ τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ ζητοῦν ἄρτους
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 ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐλεᾷ καὶ δανείζει καὶ τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ εἰς εὐλογίαν ἔσται
Righteous/Godly people are generous, and happily lend [money to others], and their children are a blessing to them.
27 ἔκκλινον ἀπὸ κακοῦ καὶ ποίησον ἀγαθὸν καὶ κατασκήνου εἰς αἰῶνα αἰῶνος
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 ὅτι κύριος ἀγαπᾷ κρίσιν καὶ οὐκ ἐγκαταλείψει τοὺς ὁσίους αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα φυλαχθήσονται ἄνομοι δὲ ἐκδιωχθήσονται καὶ σπέρμα ἀσεβῶν ἐξολεθρευθήσεται
[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 δίκαιοι δὲ κληρονομήσουσι γῆν καὶ κατασκηνώσουσιν εἰς αἰῶνα αἰῶνος ἐπ’ αὐτῆς
Righteous/Godly people will own the land [that Yahweh promised to give to them], and they will live there forever.
30 στόμα δικαίου μελετήσει σοφίαν καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα αὐτοῦ λαλήσει κρίσιν
Righteous people give wise [advice to others], and they [MTY] say what is just/fair.
31 ὁ νόμος τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐχ ὑποσκελισθήσεται τὰ διαβήματα αὐτοῦ
They continually think about God’s laws; they do not stray from [God’s] path.
32 κατανοεῖ ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς τὸν δίκαιον καὶ ζητεῖ τοῦ θανατῶσαι αὐτόν
Those who are evil wait in ambush for righteous people in order to kill them [as they walk by].
33 ὁ δὲ κύριος οὐ μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃ αὐτὸν εἰς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ μὴ καταδικάσηται αὐτόν ὅταν κρίνηται αὐτῷ
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 ὑπόμεινον τὸν κύριον καὶ φύλαξον τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑψώσει σε τοῦ κατακληρονομῆσαι γῆν ἐν τῷ ἐξολεθρεύεσθαι ἁμαρτωλοὺς ὄψῃ
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 εἶδον ἀσεβῆ ὑπερυψούμενον καὶ ἐπαιρόμενον ὡς τὰς κέδρους τοῦ Λιβάνου
I have seen that wicked people who (act like tyrants/terrify people) [sometimes] prosper, like trees that grow well in fertile soil,
36 καὶ παρῆλθον καὶ ἰδοὺ οὐκ ἦν καὶ ἐζήτησα αὐτόν καὶ οὐχ εὑρέθη ὁ τόπος αὐτοῦ
when I looked [later], they were gone! I searched for them, but [Yahweh had caused] them to disappear.
37 φύλασσε ἀκακίαν καὶ ἰδὲ εὐθύτητα ὅτι ἔστιν ἐγκατάλειμμα ἀνθρώπῳ εἰρηνικῷ
Notice the people who have not done evil things, those who act righteously: their descendants will have peace in their inner beings.
38 οἱ δὲ παράνομοι ἐξολεθρευθήσονται ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό τὰ ἐγκαταλείμματα τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἐξολεθρευθήσονται
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 σωτηρία δὲ τῶν δικαίων παρὰ κυρίου καὶ ὑπερασπιστὴς αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἐν καιρῷ θλίψεως
Yahweh rescues righteous people; in times of trouble he protects them [MET].
40 καὶ βοηθήσει αὐτοῖς κύριος καὶ ῥύσεται αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐξελεῖται αὐτοὺς ἐξ ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ σώσει αὐτούς ὅτι ἤλπισαν ἐπ’ αὐτόν
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].
