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Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Revised Standard Version

Psalms 37:8

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to 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.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
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.
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 still before the LORD, and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over him who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! 8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. 9 For the wicked shall be cut off; but those who wait for the LORD shall possess the land. 10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look well at his place, he will not be there. 11 But the meek shall possess the land, and delight themselves in abundant prosperity. 12 The wicked plots against the righteous, and gnashes his teeth at him; 13 but the LORD laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming. 14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows, to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those who walk uprightly; 15 their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. 16 Better is a little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.

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 other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a long robe with sleeves.
Genesis 37:4
But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.
Genesis 37:6
He said to them, "Hear this dream which I have dreamed:
Genesis 37:27
Come, let us sell him to the Ish'maelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh." And his brothers heeded him.
Genesis 37:28
Then Mid'ianite traders passed by; and they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ish'maelites for twenty shekels of silver; and they took Joseph to Egypt.
Genesis 49:26
The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of the eternal mountains, the bounties of the everlasting hills; may they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who was separate from his brothers.
Exodus 2:14
He answered, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid, and thought, "Surely the thing is known."
1 Samuel 10:27
But some worthless fellows said, "How can this man save us?" And they despised him, and brought him no present. But he held his peace.
1 Samuel 17:28
Now Eli'ab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eli'ab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, "Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption, and the evil of your heart; for you have come down to see the battle."
Psalms 118:22
The stone which the builders rejected has 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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