Psalm 37

Psalms · Chapter 37

Psalms 37:14

1Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.2For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.3Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.4Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.5Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.6And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.7Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.8Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.9For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.10For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.11But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.12The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.13The LORD shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.14The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.15Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.16A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.17For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.18The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.19They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.20But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.21The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.22For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.23The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.24Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.25I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.26He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.27Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.28For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.29The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.30The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.31The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.32The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.33The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.34Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.35I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.36Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.37Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.38But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.39But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.40And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
14The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.The wicked have drawn the sword and bent the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay such as are upright in the way.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
a swordחֶ֤רֶב׀CHE-revH2719
sword

חֶ֫רֶב (che.rev) 1) sword, knife 1a) sword 1b) knife 1c) tools for cutting stone

they have drawnפָּֽתְח֣וּpa-te-CHUH6605A
to open

פָּתַח (pa.tach) 1) to open 1a) (Qal) to open 1b) (Niphal) to be opened, be let loose, be thrown open 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to free 1c2) to loosen 1c3) to open, open oneself 1d) (Hithpael) to loose oneself Aramaic equivalent: pe.tach (פְּתַח "to open" H6606)

wicked [people]רְשָׁעִים֮re-sha-'IMH7563
wicked

רָשָׁע (ra.sah) 1) wicked, criminal 1a) guilty one, one guilty of crime (subst) 1b) wicked (hostile to God) 1c) wicked, guilty of sin (against God or man)

and they have bentוְדָרְכ֪וּve-da-re-KHUH1869
to tread

דָּרַךְ (da.rakh) 1) to tread, bend, lead, march 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to tread, march, march forth 1a2) to tread on, tread upon 1a3) to tread (a press) 1a4) to tread (bend) a bow 1a5) archer, bow-benders (participle) 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to tread, tread down 1b2) to tread (bend with the foot) a bow 1b3) to cause to go, lead, march, tread

bow theirקַ֫שְׁתָּ֥םkash-TAMH7198
bow

קֶ֫שֶׁת (qe.shet) 1) bow 1a) bow (for hunting, battle) 1b) bowmen, archers 1c) bow (fig. of might) 1d) rainbow

to make fallלְ֭הַפִּילLE-ha-pilH5307J
to fall: fall

נָפַל (na.phal) : fall/drop/fail 1) to fall, lie, be cast down, fail 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to fall 1a2) to fall (of violent death) 1a3) to fall prostrate, prostrate oneself before 1a4) to fall upon, attack, desert, fall away to, go away to, fall into the hand of 1a5) to fall short, fail, fall out, turn out, result 1a6) to settle, waste away, be offered, be inferior to 1a7) to lie, lie prostrate 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to cause to fall, fell, throw down, knock out, lay prostrate 1b2) to overthrow 1b3) to make the lot fall, assign by lot, apportion by lot 1b4) to let drop, cause to fail (fig.) 1b5) to cause to fall …

[the] poorעָנִ֣י'a-NIH6041
afflicted

עָנִי (a.ni) 1) poor, afflicted, humble, wretched 1a) poor, needy 1b) poor and weak 1c) poor, weak, afflicted, wretched 1d) humble, lowly

and [the] needyוְאֶבְי֑וֹןve-'ev-YONH0034
needy

אֶבְיוֹן (ev.yon) 1) in want, needy, chiefly poor, needy person 2) subject to oppression and abuse 3) needing help, deliverance from trouble, especially as delivered by God 4) general reference to lowest class

to slaughterלִ֝טְב֗וֹחַlit-VO-achH2873
to slaughter

טָבַח (ta.vach) 1) to slaughter, slay, butcher, kill ruthlessly 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to slaughter, butcher 1a2) to slay, kill ruthlessly (fig.)

[people] upright ofיִשְׁרֵי־yish-rei-H3477G
upright

יָשָׁר (ya.shar) 1) straight, upright, correct, right 1a) straight, level 1b) right, pleasing, correct 1c) straightforward, just, upright, fitting, proper 1d) uprightness, righteous, upright 1e) that which is upright (subst) Also means: ya.shar (יָשָׁר "upright" H3477I)

wayדָֽרֶךְ׃DA-rekhH1870L
way: conduct

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) : conduct/lifestyle 1) way, road, distance, journey, manner 1a) road, way, path 1b) journey 1c) direction 1d) manner, habit, way 1e) of course of life (fig.) 1f) of moral character (fig.)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.