Amahubo 37
1 Ungazikhathazi ngababi, ungabi lomhawu ngabenzi bobubi.
A psalm of David. Don't be upset over wicked people, or be jealous of those who do wrong.
2 Ngoba bazaqunywa masinyane njengotshani, babune njengohlaza.
For like grass, they will quickly dry up; like plants, they will soon wither away.
3 Themba eNkosini, wenze okuhle, uhlale elizweni, uzondle ngothembeko.
Trust in the Lord, and do good. Live in the land and feed on faithfulness.
4 Zithokozise eNkosini, njalo izakunika iziloyiso zenhliziyo yakho.
Find your happiness in the Lord, and he will give you what you want the most.
5 Nikela indlela yakho eNkosini, uthembe kuyo; yona izakwenza.
Entrust all that you do to the Lord. Place your confidence in him and he will help you.
6 Izaveza ukulunga kwakho njengokukhanya, lelungelo lakho njengemini enkulu.
He will make your vindication shine like a light, the rightness of your cause like the noonday sun.
7 Thula eNkosini, uyilindele; ungazikhathazi ngophumelelayo ngendlela yakhe, ngomuntu owenza amacebo amabi.
Be still in God's presence; wait patiently for him. Don't be upset over people who prosper when they carry out their evil schemes.
8 Yekela intukuthelo, utshiye ulaka; ungazikhathazi langokwenza okubi.
Give up your anger! Let go your rage! Don't get mad—it only results in evil!
9 Ngoba ababi bazaqunywa, kodwa labo abalindele iNkosi bona bazakudla ilifa lelizwe.
For the wicked will be destroyed, and those who trust in the Lord will take possession of the land.
10 Kuseyisikhatshana nje, omubi angabe esaba khona; loba uhlola indawo yakhe uyabe engasekho.
In a little while the wicked will be no more—though you look for them you won't find them.
11 Kodwa abamnene bazakudla ilifa lelizwe, bazithokozise ngobunengi bokuthula.
The humble will own the land; they will live there happily, in peace and prosperity.
12 Omubi uyaceba emelene lolungileyo, amgedlele amazinyo akhe.
The wicked plot evil against those who do good, gnashing their teeth at them.
13 INkosi izamhleka, ngoba iyabona ukuthi usuku lwakhe luyeza.
But the Lord laughs at them, for he sees their coming day of judgment.
14 Ababi sebehwatshe inkemba, bagobise idandili labo, ukumlahla phansi umyanga loswelayo, ukubulala abaqotho ngendlela.
The wicked draw their swords, and bend their bows to destroy the poor and needy, to kill those who live right.
15 Inkemba yabo izangena kweyabo inhliziyo, kwephulwe amadandili abo.
But the swords of the wicked will slice through their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.
16 Okuncinyane alakho olungileyo kungcono kulenotho yababi abanengi.
It's better to do right and only have a little, than to be wicked and rich.
17 Ngoba ingalo zababi zizakwephulwa, kodwa iNkosi iyabasekela abalungileyo.
For the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord supports those who do right.
18 INkosi iyazazi izinsuku zabaqotho, lelifa labo lizakuba sephakadeni.
The Lord knows what is happening to the innocent and grants them an eternal inheritance.
19 Kabayikuyangeka ngesikhathi esibi, langensuku zendlala bazasutha.
They will not be humiliated in bad times; even in days of famine they will have plenty to eat.
20 Kodwa ababi bazabhubha; lezitha zeNkosi zizanyamalala njengamafutha amawundlu, zinyamalale entuthwini.
But the wicked will die. The enemies of the Lord are like the flowers of the field—they will vanish like smoke.
21 Omubi uyeboleka, angabuyiseli, kodwa olungileyo uyahawukela, aphe.
The wicked borrow, but don't repay; while those who do right give generously.
22 Ngoba ababusiswe yiyo bazakudla ilifa lelizwe, kodwa abaqalekiswe yiyo bazaqunywa.
Those who are blessed by God will own the land, but those he curses will die.
23 Izinyathelo zomuntu olungileyo ziqondiswa yiNkosi, iyathokoza endleleni yakhe.
The Lord shows the right path to those who follow him, and is happy with the way they live.
24 Loba esiwa, kayikulahlwa phansi, ngoba iNkosi isekela isandla sakhe.
Though they may trip up, they will not fall to the ground, for the Lord holds their hand.
25 Ngangimutsha, sengimdala, kanti kangibonanga olungileyo etshiyiwe, lenzalo yakhe idinga ukudla.
Once I was young, and now I've grown old, yet I've never seen those who do right abandoned, nor their children having to beg for bread.
26 Usuku lonke ulomusa, uyeboleka, lenzalo yakhe iyisibusiso.
They are always kind, and generous with their loans; their children are a blessing.
27 Suka ebubini, wenze okuhle; uhlale kuze kube nininini.
Reject evil, do what is good, and you will live forever in the land.
28 Ngoba iNkosi ithanda isahlulelo, kayiyikubatshiya abangcwele bayo. Bazalondolozwa kuze kube nininini; kodwa inzalo yababi izaqunywa.
For the Lord loves fairness and he will never abandon those who are trustworthy. He will protect them forever. But the children of the wicked will die.
29 Abalungileyo bazakudla ilifa lelizwe, bahlale kulo kuze kube nininini.
Those who do right will own the land and will live there forever.
30 Umlomo wolungileyo ukhuluma inhlakanipho, lolimi lwakhe lukhuluma isahlulelo.
People who do right give good advice, explaining what is fair.
31 Umlayo kaNkulunkulu wakhe usenhliziyweni yakhe; izinyathelo zakhe kazitsheleli.
God's law lives in their minds, so they will not slip from his way.
32 Omubi uyamqaphela olungileyo, udinga ukumbulala.
The wicked lie in wait for those who do good, intending to kill them.
33 INkosi kayiyikumyekela esandleni sakhe, kayiyikumlahla lapho esahlulelwa.
But the Lord will not let them fall into the hands of the wicked, and he will not let those who do good be condemned when they are put on trial.
34 Lindela eNkosini, ugcine indlela yayo, izakuphakamisa ukuthi udle ilifa lelizwe; uzabona lapho ababi bequnywa.
Trust in the Lord, and stay on his path. He will lift you up and give you the land to own. You will see when the wicked are destroyed.
35 Ngambona omubi elamandla amakhulu, eziqhelisa njengesihlahla semvelo esiluhlaza.
I have watched the wicked acting brutally, spreading like a large tree in its native land.
36 Kube kanti wedlula, khangela-ke, wayengasekho; yebo ngamdinga, kodwa katholakalanga.
But when I passed that way the next time, they were gone. I searched for them but couldn't find them.
37 Nanzelela opheleleyo, umbone oqotho, ngoba ukuphela kwalowomuntu kuyikuthula.
Observe the innocent, look at those who do right! Those who love peace have a future!
38 Kodwa abaphambukayo bazabhujiswa kanyekanye; ukuphela kwababi kuzaqunywa.
But those who are rebellious will be altogether destroyed; the wicked have no future.
39 Kodwa usindiso lwabalungileyo luvela eNkosini, inqaba yabo esikhathini sokuhlupheka.
The Lord saves those who live right; he is their protection in times of trouble.
40 Njalo iNkosi izabasiza ibakhulule; izabakhulula kwababi, ibasindise, ngoba baphephela kuyo.
The Lord helps them and rescues them from the wicked. He saves them because they go to him for protection.
