Lectionary Calendar
Friday, July 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible
THE MESSAGE
Psalms 37:8
Bridle your anger, trash your wrath, cool your pipes—it only makes things worse. Before long the crooks will be bankrupt; God -investors will soon own the store.
Jump to:Bible Study Tools • Parallel Bible Verse • Bible Contextual Overview • Bible Cross-References • Gill's Bible Notes • Barnes' Bible Notes
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- InternationalDevotionals:
- EveryParallel Translations
Christian Standard Bible®
Refrain from anger and give up your rage;do not be agitated—it can only bring harm.
Refrain from anger and give up your rage;do not be agitated—it can only bring harm.
Hebrew Names Version
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath. Don't fret, it leads only to evildoing.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath. Don't fret, it leads only to evildoing.
King James Version
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
English Standard Version
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
New Century Version
Don't get angry. Don't be upset; it only leads to trouble.
Don't get angry. Don't be upset; it only leads to trouble.
New English Translation
Do not be angry and frustrated! Do not fret! That only leads to trouble!
Do not be angry and frustrated! Do not fret! That only leads to trouble!
Amplified Bible
Cease from anger and abandon wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evil.
Cease from anger and abandon wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evil.
New American Standard Bible
Cease from anger and abandon wrath; Do not get upset; it leads only to evildoing.
Cease from anger and abandon wrath; Do not get upset; it leads only to evildoing.
World English Bible
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath. Don't fret, it leads only to evildoing.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath. Don't fret, it leads only to evildoing.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Cease from anger, and leaue off wrath: fret not thy selfe also to doe euill.
Cease from anger, and leaue off wrath: fret not thy selfe also to doe euill.
Legacy Standard Bible
Cease from anger and forsake wrath;Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
Cease from anger and forsake wrath;Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
Berean Standard Bible
Refrain from anger and abandon wrath; do not fret-it can only bring harm.
Refrain from anger and abandon wrath; do not fret-it can only bring harm.
Contemporary English Version
Don't be angry or furious. Anger can lead to sin.
Don't be angry or furious. Anger can lead to sin.
Complete Jewish Bible
Stop being angry, put aside rage, and don't be upset — it leads to evil.
Stop being angry, put aside rage, and don't be upset — it leads to evil.
Darby Translation
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; fret not thyself: it [would be] only to do evil.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; fret not thyself: it [would be] only to do evil.
Easy-to-Read Version
Don't become so angry and upset that you, too, want to do evil.
Don't become so angry and upset that you, too, want to do evil.
George Lamsa Translation
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; fret not yourself in any wise to do evil.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; fret not yourself in any wise to do evil.
Good News Translation
Don't give in to worry or anger; it only leads to trouble.
Don't give in to worry or anger; it only leads to trouble.
Lexham English Bible
Refrain from anger and forsake wrath. Do not fret; it only brings evil.
Refrain from anger and forsake wrath. Do not fret; it only brings evil.
Literal Translation
Abstain from anger and cease from fury; also do not inflame yourself to do evil.
Abstain from anger and cease from fury; also do not inflame yourself to do evil.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Leaue of from wrath, let go displeasure, let not thy gelousy moue the also to do euell.
Leaue of from wrath, let go displeasure, let not thy gelousy moue the also to do euell.
American Standard Version
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: Fret not thyself, it tendeth only to evil-doing.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: Fret not thyself, it tendeth only to evil-doing.
Bible in Basic English
Put an end to your wrath and be no longer bitter; do not give way to angry feeling which is a cause of sin.
Put an end to your wrath and be no longer bitter; do not give way to angry feeling which is a cause of sin.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; fret not thyself, it tendeth only to evil-doing.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; fret not thyself, it tendeth only to evil-doing.
King James Version (1611)
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thy selfe in any wise to doe euill.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thy selfe in any wise to doe euill.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Leaue of from wrath, and let go displeasure: fret not thy selfe, lest thou be moued to do euill.
Leaue of from wrath, and let go displeasure: fret not thy selfe, lest thou be moued to do euill.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
ease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself so as to do evil.
ease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself so as to do evil.
English Revised Version
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself, it tendeth only to evil-doing.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself, it tendeth only to evil-doing.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Ceese thou of ire, and forsake woodnesse; nyle thou sue, that thou do wickidli.
Ceese thou of ire, and forsake woodnesse; nyle thou sue, that thou do wickidli.
Update Bible Version
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: Don't fret yourself, [it tends] only to evil-doing.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: Don't fret yourself, [it tends] only to evil-doing.
Webster's Bible Translation
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
New King James Version
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret--it only causes harm.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret--it only causes harm.
New Living Translation
Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper— it only leads to harm.
Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper— it only leads to harm.
New Life Bible
Stop being angry. Turn away from fighting. Do not trouble yourself. It leads only to wrong-doing.
Stop being angry. Turn away from fighting. Do not trouble yourself. It leads only to wrong-doing.
New Revised Standard
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not fret—it leads only to evil.
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not fret—it leads only to evil.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath, Burn not with vexation - it would be only to do evil;
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath, Burn not with vexation - it would be only to do evil;
Douay-Rheims Bible
(36-8) Cease from anger, and leave rage; have no emulation to do evil.
(36-8) Cease from anger, and leave rage; have no emulation to do evil.
Revised Standard Version
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
Young's Literal Translation
Desist from anger, and forsake fury, Fret not thyself only to do evil.
Desist from anger, and forsake fury, Fret not thyself only to do evil.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
Contextual Overview
7 Quiet down before God , be prayerful before him. Don't bother with those who climb the ladder, who elbow their way to the top. 8Bridle your anger, trash your wrath, cool your pipes—it only makes things worse. Before long the crooks will be bankrupt; God -investors will soon own the store. 10Before you know it, the wicked will have had it; you'll stare at his once famous place and—nothing! Down-to-earth people will move in and take over, relishing a huge bonanza. 12Bad guys have it in for the good guys, obsessed with doing them in. But God isn't losing any sleep; to him they're a joke with no punch line. 14Bullies brandish their swords, pull back on their bows with a flourish. They're out to beat up on the harmless, or mug that nice man out walking his dog. A banana peel lands them flat on their faces— slapstick figures in a moral circus. 16Less is more and more is less. One righteous will outclass fifty wicked, For the wicked are moral weaklings but the righteous are God -strong. 18 God keeps track of the decent folk; what they do won't soon be forgotten. In hard times, they'll hold their heads high; when the shelves are bare, they'll be full. 20 God-despisers have had it; God 's enemies are finished— Stripped bare like vineyards at harvest time, vanished like smoke in thin air.
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Cease: Job 5:2, Job 18:4, Proverbs 14:29, Proverbs 16:32, Ephesians 4:26, Ephesians 4:31, James 1:19, James 1:20, James 3:14-18
fret: Psalms 31:22, Psalms 73:15, Psalms 116:11, 1 Samuel 25:21-23, Jeremiah 20:14, Jeremiah 20:15, Jonah 4:1, Jonah 4:9, Luke 9:54, Luke 9:55
Reciprocal: 1 Kings 11:22 - let me go Matthew 5:22 - That Colossians 3:8 - anger
Cross-References
Genesis 37:3
Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons because he was the child of his old age. And he made him an elaborately embroidered coat. When his brothers realized that their father loved him more than them, they grew to hate him—they wouldn't even speak to him.
Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons because he was the child of his old age. And he made him an elaborately embroidered coat. When his brothers realized that their father loved him more than them, they grew to hate him—they wouldn't even speak to him.
Genesis 37:28
By that time the Midianite traders were passing by. His brothers pulled Joseph out of the cistern and sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites who took Joseph with them down to Egypt.
By that time the Midianite traders were passing by. His brothers pulled Joseph out of the cistern and sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites who took Joseph with them down to Egypt.
Exodus 2:14
The man shot back: "Who do you think you are, telling us what to do? Are you going to kill me the way you killed that Egyptian?" Then Moses panicked: "Word's gotten out—people know about this."
The man shot back: "Who do you think you are, telling us what to do? Are you going to kill me the way you killed that Egyptian?" Then Moses panicked: "Word's gotten out—people know about this."
1 Samuel 17:28
Eliab, his older brother, heard David fraternizing with the men and lost his temper: "What are you doing here! Why aren't you minding your own business, tending that scrawny flock of sheep? I know what you're up to. You've come down here to see the sights, hoping for a ringside seat at a bloody battle!"
Eliab, his older brother, heard David fraternizing with the men and lost his temper: "What are you doing here! Why aren't you minding your own business, tending that scrawny flock of sheep? I know what you're up to. You've come down here to see the sights, hoping for a ringside seat at a bloody battle!"
Luke 19:14
"But the citizens there hated him. So they sent a commission with a signed petition to oppose his rule: ‘We don't want this man to rule us.'
"But the citizens there hated him. So they sent a commission with a signed petition to oppose his rule: ‘We don't want this man to rule us.'
Luke 20:17
But Jesus didn't back down. "Why, then, do you think this was written: That stone the masons threw out— It's now the cornerstone!? "Anyone falling over that stone will break every bone in his body; if the stone falls on anyone, it will be a total smashup."
But Jesus didn't back down. "Why, then, do you think this was written: That stone the masons threw out— It's now the cornerstone!? "Anyone falling over that stone will break every bone in his body; if the stone falls on anyone, it will be a total smashup."
Acts 7:35
"This is the same Moses whom they earlier rejected, saying, ‘Who put you in charge of us?' This is the Moses that God, using the angel flaming in the burning bush, sent back as ruler and redeemer. He led them out of their slavery. He did wonderful things, setting up God-signs all through Egypt, down at the Red Sea, and out in the wilderness for forty years. This is the Moses who said to his congregation, ‘God will raise up a prophet just like me from your descendants.' This is the Moses who stood between the angel speaking at Sinai and your fathers assembled in the wilderness and took the life-giving words given to him and handed them over to us, words our fathers would have nothing to do with. "They craved the old Egyptian ways, whining to Aaron, ‘Make us gods we can see and follow. This Moses who got us out here miles from nowhere—who knows what's happened to him!' That was the time when they made a calf-idol, brought sacrifices to it, and congratulated each other on the wonderful religious program they had put together. "God wasn't at all pleased; but he let them do it their way, worship every new god that came down the pike—and live with the consequences, consequences described by the prophet Amos: Did you bring me offerings of animals and grains those forty wilderness years, O Israel? Hardly. You were too busy building shrines to war gods, to sex goddesses, Worshiping them with all your might. That's why I put you in exile in Babylon. "And all this time our ancestors had a tent shrine for true worship, made to the exact specifications God provided Moses. They had it with them as they followed Joshua, when God cleared the land of pagans, and still had it right down to the time of David. David asked God for a permanent place for worship. But Solomon built it. "Yet that doesn't mean that Most High God lives in a building made by carpenters and masons. The prophet Isaiah put it well when he wrote, "Heaven is my throne room; I rest my feet on earth. So what kind of house will you build me?" says God. "Where I can get away and relax? It's already built, and I built it." "And you continue, so bullheaded! Calluses on your hearts, flaps on your ears! Deliberately ignoring the Holy Spirit, you're just like your ancestors. Was there ever a prophet who didn't get the same treatment? Your ancestors killed anyone who dared talk about the coming of the Just One. And you've kept up the family tradition—traitors and murderers, all of you. You had God's Law handed to you by angels—gift-wrapped!—and you squandered it!" At that point they went wild, a rioting mob of catcalls and whistles and invective. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed—he only had eyes for God, whom he saw in all his glory with Jesus standing at his side. He said, "Oh! I see heaven wide open and the Son of Man standing at God's side!" Yelling and hissing, the mob drowned him out. Now in full stampede, they dragged him out of town and pelted him with rocks. The ringleaders took off their coats and asked a young man named Saul to watch them. As the rocks rained down, Stephen prayed, "Master Jesus, take my life." Then he knelt down, praying loud enough for everyone to hear, "Master, don't blame them for this sin"—his last words. Then he died.
"This is the same Moses whom they earlier rejected, saying, ‘Who put you in charge of us?' This is the Moses that God, using the angel flaming in the burning bush, sent back as ruler and redeemer. He led them out of their slavery. He did wonderful things, setting up God-signs all through Egypt, down at the Red Sea, and out in the wilderness for forty years. This is the Moses who said to his congregation, ‘God will raise up a prophet just like me from your descendants.' This is the Moses who stood between the angel speaking at Sinai and your fathers assembled in the wilderness and took the life-giving words given to him and handed them over to us, words our fathers would have nothing to do with. "They craved the old Egyptian ways, whining to Aaron, ‘Make us gods we can see and follow. This Moses who got us out here miles from nowhere—who knows what's happened to him!' That was the time when they made a calf-idol, brought sacrifices to it, and congratulated each other on the wonderful religious program they had put together. "God wasn't at all pleased; but he let them do it their way, worship every new god that came down the pike—and live with the consequences, consequences described by the prophet Amos: Did you bring me offerings of animals and grains those forty wilderness years, O Israel? Hardly. You were too busy building shrines to war gods, to sex goddesses, Worshiping them with all your might. That's why I put you in exile in Babylon. "And all this time our ancestors had a tent shrine for true worship, made to the exact specifications God provided Moses. They had it with them as they followed Joshua, when God cleared the land of pagans, and still had it right down to the time of David. David asked God for a permanent place for worship. But Solomon built it. "Yet that doesn't mean that Most High God lives in a building made by carpenters and masons. The prophet Isaiah put it well when he wrote, "Heaven is my throne room; I rest my feet on earth. So what kind of house will you build me?" says God. "Where I can get away and relax? It's already built, and I built it." "And you continue, so bullheaded! Calluses on your hearts, flaps on your ears! Deliberately ignoring the Holy Spirit, you're just like your ancestors. Was there ever a prophet who didn't get the same treatment? Your ancestors killed anyone who dared talk about the coming of the Just One. And you've kept up the family tradition—traitors and murderers, all of you. You had God's Law handed to you by angels—gift-wrapped!—and you squandered it!" At that point they went wild, a rioting mob of catcalls and whistles and invective. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed—he only had eyes for God, whom he saw in all his glory with Jesus standing at his side. He said, "Oh! I see heaven wide open and the Son of Man standing at God's side!" Yelling and hissing, the mob drowned him out. Now in full stampede, they dragged him out of town and pelted him with rocks. The ringleaders took off their coats and asked a young man named Saul to watch them. As the rocks rained down, Stephen prayed, "Master Jesus, take my life." Then he knelt down, praying loud enough for everyone to hear, "Master, don't blame them for this sin"—his last words. Then he died.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Cease from anger,.... Either at these wicked men who are so prosperous, or at God, who for the present suffers it; see Jonah 4:9
Proverbs 19:3;
and forsake wrath; which is anger wrought up to a greater degree; and the rather to be shunned and avoided, as being very disagreeable to the character of a good man;
fret not thyself in any wise to do evil; evil may be done by fretting at the prosperity of wicked men, or by imitating them, doing as they do, in hope of being prosperous as they are; from which the psalmist dissuades by reasons following.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Cease from anger - That is, in reference to the fact that there are wicked people, and that they are permitted to carry out their plans. Do not allow your mind to be excited with envious, fretful, wrathful, or murmuring feelings against God because he bears patiently with them, and because they are allowed a temporary prosperity and triumph. Be calm, whatever may be the wickedness of the world. The supreme direction belongs to God, and he will dispose of it in the best way.
And forsake wrath - That is, as above, in regard to the existence of evil, and to the conduct of wicked men.
Fret not thyself in any wise - See Psalms 37:1. Let the mind be entirely calm and composed.
To do evil - So as to lead you to do evil. Do not allow your mind to become so excited that you will indulge in harsh or malignant remarks; or so as to lead you to do wrong to any man, however wicked he may be. See always that you are right, whatever others may be, and do not allow their conduct to be the means of leading you into sin in any form. Look to your own character and conduct first.
