Psalm 37:20
New International Version
But the wicked will perish: Though the LORD’s enemies are like the flowers of the field, they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.

New Living Translation
But the wicked will die. The LORD’s enemies are like flowers in a field— they will disappear like smoke.

English Standard Version
But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

Berean Standard Bible
But the wicked and enemies of the LORD will perish like the glory of the fields. They will vanish; like smoke they will fade away.

King James Bible
But 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.

New King James Version
But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the LORD, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away.

New American Standard Bible
But the wicked will perish; And the enemies of the LORD will be like the glory of the pastures, They vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

NASB 1995
But the wicked will perish; And the enemies of the LORD will be like the glory of the pastures, They vanish— like smoke they vanish away.

NASB 1977
But the wicked will perish; And the enemies of the LORD will be like the glory of the pastures, They vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

Legacy Standard Bible
But the wicked will perish; And the enemies of Yahweh will be like the glory of the pastures, They vanish—in smoke they vanish away.

Amplified Bible
But the wicked (ungodly) will perish, And the enemies of the LORD will be like the glory of the pastures and like the fat of lambs [that is consumed in smoke], They vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

Christian Standard Bible
But the wicked will perish; the LORD’s enemies, like the glory of the pastures, will fade away — they will fade away like smoke.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But the wicked will perish; the LORD’s enemies, like the glory of the pastures, will fade away— they will fade away like smoke.

American Standard Version
But the wicked shall perish, And the enemies of Jehovah shall be as the fat of lambs: They shall consume; in smoke shall they consume away.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Because the wicked perish and the fattened enemies of LORD JEHOVAH are finished and like smoke they disappear.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For the sinners shall perish; and the enemies of the Lord at the moment of their being honoured and exalted have utterly vanished like smoke.

Contemporary English Version
Wicked people are enemies of the LORD and will vanish like smoke from a field on fire.

Douay-Rheims Bible
because the wicked shall perish. And the enemies of the Lord, presently after they shall be honoured and exalted, shall come to nothing and vanish like smoke.

English Revised Version
But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the excellency of the pastures: they shall consume; in smoke shall they consume away.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But wicked people will disappear. The LORD's enemies will vanish like the best part of a meadow. They will vanish like smoke.

Good News Translation
But the wicked will die; the enemies of the LORD will vanish like wild flowers; they will disappear like smoke.

International Standard Version
Indeed, the wicked will perish. The LORD's enemies will be consumed like flowers in the fields. They will vanish like smoke.

JPS Tanakh 1917
For the wicked shall perish, And the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs-- They shall pass away in smoke, they shall pass away.

Literal Standard Version
But the wicked perish, and the enemies of YHWH, | Have been consumed as the preciousness of lambs, | They have been consumed in smoke.

Majority Standard Bible
But the wicked and enemies of the LORD will perish like the glory of the fields. They will vanish; like smoke they will fade away.

New American Bible
The wicked perish, enemies of the LORD; They shall be consumed like fattened lambs; like smoke they disappear.

NET Bible
But evil men will die; the LORD's enemies will be incinerated--they will go up in smoke.

New Revised Standard Version
But the wicked perish, and the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

New Heart English Bible
But the wicked shall perish. The enemies of the LORD shall be like the beauty of the fields. They will vanish--vanish like smoke.

Webster's Bible Translation
But 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.

World English Bible
But the wicked shall perish. The enemies of Yahweh shall be like the beauty of the fields. They will vanish— vanish like smoke.

Young's Literal Translation
But the wicked perish, and the enemies of Jehovah, As the preciousness of lambs, Have been consumed, In smoke they have been consumed.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Do Not Envy Those who Do Wrong
19In the time of evil they will not be ashamed, and in the days of famine they will be satisfied. 20But the wicked and enemies of the LORD will perish like the glory of the fields. They will vanish; like smoke they will fade away. 21The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and giving.…

Cross References
Psalm 18:37
I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back until they were consumed.

Psalm 37:38
But the transgressors will all be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.

Psalm 68:2
As smoke is blown away, You will drive them out; as wax melts before the fire, the wicked will perish in the presence of God.

Psalm 73:27
Those far from You will surely perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You.

Psalm 92:9
For surely Your enemies, O LORD, surely Your enemies will perish; all evildoers will be scattered.

Psalm 102:3
For my days vanish like smoke, and my bones burn like glowing embers.


Treasury of Scripture

But 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.

But the

Psalm 68:2
As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

Psalm 92:9
For, lo, thine enemies, O LORD, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.

Judges 5:31
So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.

as the fat of lambs [heb.

Deuteronomy 33:14-16
And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, …

smoke

Psalm 102:3
For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth.

Genesis 19:28
And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

Leviticus 3:3-11,16
And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, …

Jump to Previous
Beauty Burned Consume Consumed Destruction Enemies Fat Fields Glory Haters Lambs Pastures Perish Preciousness Smoke Vanish Wicked Wrongdoers
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Beauty Burned Consume Consumed Destruction Enemies Fat Fields Glory Haters Lambs Pastures Perish Preciousness Smoke Vanish Wicked Wrongdoers
Psalm 37
1. David persuades to patience and confidence in God,
12. by the different estate of the godly and the wicked














(20) As the fat of lambs.--It is now generally allowed that this should be rendered as the glory of the meadows, recurring to the image of Psalm 37:2. The next clause may then be either, they are consumed, with smoke they are consumed; or, they pass away, like smoke they pass away.

Verse 20. - But the wicked shall perish (comp. vers. 2, 9, 10, 15, 36); literally, for the wicked shall perish. The happiness of the righteous cannot be complete until the wicked are removed out of their way; since, so long as they continue in the world, they will be ever vexing the righteous and troubling them (Psalm 56:1). And the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs. So, many of the old commentators, as Aquila, Kimchi, and others; and among moderns, Rosenmuller, and Professor Alexander. But the bulk of recent critics translate, as the excellency of the pastures (Hupfeld, Kay, Hengstenberg, Canon Cook, Cheyne, Revised Version); i.e. the rich herbage which is burnt up by the heat of summer (comp. ver. 2). Both translations seem to be tenable; but the latter is perhaps preferable, since the consumption of the fat of lambs upon the altar is connected with the idea, not of rejection, but of acceptance. Into smoke shall they consume away (comp. Psalm 102:3).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But
כִּ֤י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the wicked
רְשָׁעִ֨ים ׀ (rə·šā·‘îm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 7563: Wrong, an, bad person

and enemies
וְאֹיְבֵ֣י (wə·’ō·yə·ḇê)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 341: Hating, an adversary

of the LORD
יְ֭הוָה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

will perish
יֹאבֵ֗דוּ (yō·ḇê·ḏū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6: To wander away, lose oneself, to perish

like the glory
כִּיקַ֣ר (kî·qar)
Preposition-k | Adjective - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3368: Precious, rare, splendid, weighty

of the fields.
כָּרִ֑ים (kā·rîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3733: A ram, a, battering-ram, a meadow, a pad, camel's saddle

They will vanish;
כָּל֖וּ (kā·lū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3615: To be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, or spent

like smoke
בֶעָשָׁ֣ן (ḇe·‘ā·šān)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6227: Smoke

they will fade away.
כָּֽלוּ׃ (kā·lū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3615: To be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, or spent


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OT Poetry: Psalm 37:20 But the wicked shall perish (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 37:19
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