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Friday, September 19th, 2025
the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Read the Bible

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

Psalms 37:8

Cease from anger, and forsake wrath, Burn not with vexation - it would be only to do evil;

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Anger;   Patience;   Thompson Chain Reference - Anger;   Wrath-Anger;   The Topic Concordance - Anger;   Forsaking;   Wrath;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Anger;   Resignation;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Letters;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Anger;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Acrostic;   English Versions;   Estate;   Ethics;   Greek Versions of Ot;   Psalms;   Sin;   Wealth;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Nunc Dimittis ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Lamentations of jeremiah;   Psalms the book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Cease;   Fret, Fretting;   Wrath (Anger);  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for May 7;   My Utmost for His Highest - Devotion for July 4;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
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.
King James Version
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.
New Century Version
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!
Amplified Bible
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.
World English Bible
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.
Legacy Standard Bible
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.
Contemporary English Version
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.
Darby Translation
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.
George Lamsa Translation
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.
Lexham English Bible
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.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
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.
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.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
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.
English Revised Version
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.
Update Bible Version
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.
New King James Version
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.
New Life Bible
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.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(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.
Young's Literal Translation
Desist from anger, and forsake fury, Fret not thyself only to do evil.
THE MESSAGE
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.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.

Contextual Overview

7 Be resigned to Yahweh, yea wait with longing for him; Burn not with vexation at him who prospereth in his way, - at the man who doeth wickedness. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath, Burn not with vexation - it would be only to do evil; 9 For, evil doers, shall be cut off, but, as for them who wait for Yahweh, they, shall inherit the earth. 10 Yet a little, therefore, and the lawless one shall not be, Yea thou shalt look about, over his place - and he shall have vanished! 11 But, the patient oppressed-ones, shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves over the abundance of prosperity. 12 Plotting is the lawless one, against the just, and gnashing upon him with his teeth. 13 My Lord, shall laugh at him, for he seeth, that his day, will come. 14 A sword, have the lawless, drawn out, and have trodden their bow, - To bring down the oppressed and the needy, To slaughter the upright in life: 15 Their sword, shall enter into their own heart, and, their bow, shall be broken. 16 Better the little of the righteous man, than the abundance of the lawless who are mighty;

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
Now, Israel, loved Joseph more than any of his sons, because he was to him, the son of his old age, and he had made him, a long tunic.
Genesis 37:4
So his brethren saw that their father loved him, more than any of his brethren, and they hated him, and could not bid him prosper,
Genesis 37:6
And he said unto them, Hear ye I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
Genesis 37:27
Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites; but let not, out own hand, be upon him, for our own brother, our own flesh, is he And his brethren hearkened.
Genesis 37:28
And there passed by certain Midianites travelling merchants, so they drew forth and uplifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites, for twenty pieces of silver, - and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
Genesis 49:26
The blessings of thy father, have prevailed, Over the blessings of the perpetual mountains, The charm of the age-abiding hills, - They turn out to be, for the head of Joseph, And for the crown of the head of him who was set apart from his brethren.
Exodus 2:14
And he said - Who hath set thee for a chief and a judge over us? To slay me, art thou thinking, as thou didst slay the Egyptian? Then was Moses afraid, and said - Surely the thing is, known!
1 Samuel 10:27
But, abandoned men, said - How can this one save us? So they treated him with contempt, and brought him no present, - but he was as one that was deaf.
1 Samuel 17:28
Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men, - then was kindled the anger of Eliab against David, and he said - Wherefore is it that thou hast come down? and to whom hast thou entrusted those few sheep in the wilderness? I, know thy pride, and the foolishness of thy heart, for, to see the battle, hast thou come down.
Psalms 118:22
A stone the builders refused, hath become the head of the corner:

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.


 
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