Psalms 37:14

12 The wicked scheme against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them,

13 but the Lord laughs, seeing that their day is coming.

The wicked have drawn the sword and bent the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.

15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.

16 Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many who are wicked.

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
The wicked have drawn the sword and bent the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.
KJV
The 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.
WEB
The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, to kill those who are upright on the path.
ASV
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.
DARBY
The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the afflicted and needy, to slay those that are upright in [the] way:
BLB
The wicked have drawn out the sword and have bent their bows, to cast down the poor and needy, [and] to slay those upright in the path.
ÅB
De ugudelige drar sverdet og spenner buen
for å felle den elendige og fattige
og drepe dem som vandrer oppriktig.
OTB
De ugudelige spenner buen
For å felle de fattige og trengende,
For å drepe dem som vandrer rettskaffent.
B1930
De ugudelige drar sverdet og spenner sin bue for å felle den elendige og fattige og slå dem ihjel som vandrer opriktig.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Proverbs 29:27

    An unjust man is detestable to the righteous, and one whose way is upright is detestable to the wicked.

    Read in context
  • Psalms 11:2

    For behold, the wicked bend their bows. They set their arrow on the string to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.

    Read in context
  • 1 John 3:12

    Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.

    Read in context
  • Proverbs 29:10

    Men of bloodshed hate a blameless man, but the upright care for his life.

    Read in context
  • Psalms 64:2–6

    Hide me from the scheming of the wicked, from the mob of workers of iniquity,

    Read in context
  • Acts 7:52

    Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers—

    Read in context
  • Psalms 35:10

    All my bones will exclaim, “Who is like You, O LORD, who delivers the afflicted from the aggressor, the poor and needy from the robber?”

    Read in context
  • 1 Samuel 24:17

    and said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, though I have rewarded you with evil.

    Read in context