King James Version

Psalms 37:20

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.

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Hebrew

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כִּ֤יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…רְשָׁעִ֨יםreshaimguiltyרָשָׁעadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “guilty”, the ordinary formH7563morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad person[phrase] condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did wrong.יֹאבֵ֗דוּyovedvdestroyאָבַדverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “destroy”, an unfinished actionH6properly, to wander away, i.e. lose oneself; by implication to perish (causative, destroy)break, destroy(-uction), [phrase] not escape, fail, lose, (cause to, make) perish, spend, [idiom] and surely, take, be undone, [idiom] utterly, be void of, have no way to flee.וְאֹיְבֵ֣יveoyeveand enemyאֹיֵבconjunction, verb, qal, participle, construct — “and enemy”, a verb used as a describing wordH341hating; an adversaryenemy, foe.יְ֭הוָהyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).כִּיקַ֣רkiqaras brightnessיָקָרpreposition, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, construct — “as brightness”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3368valuable (objectively or subjectively)brightness, clear, costly, excellent, fat, honourable women, precious, reputation.כָּרִ֑יםkarimram. See also Hכַּרnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “ram. See also H”, the ordinary formH3733a ram (as full-grown and fat), including a battering-ram (as butting); hence, a meadow (as for sheep); also a pad or camel's saddle (as puffed out)captain, furniture, lamb, (large) pasture, ram. See also H1033 (בֵּית כַּר), H3746 (כָּרִי).כָּל֖וּkalvceaseכָּלָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “cease”, a completed actionH3615to end, whether intransitive (to cease, be finished, perish) or transitived (to complete, prepare, consume)accomplish, cease, consume (away), determine, destroy (utterly), be (when... were) done, (be an) end (of), expire, (cause to) fail, faint, finish, fulfil, [idiom] fully, [idiom] have, leave (off), long, bring to pass, wholly reap, make cle…בֶעָשָׁ֣ןveashanin smokeעָשָׁןpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in smoke”, the ordinary formH6227smoke, literally or figuratively (vapor, dust, anger)smoke(-ing).כָּֽלוּkalvceaseכָּלָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “cease”, a completed actionH3615to end, whether intransitive (to cease, be finished, perish) or transitived (to complete, prepare, consume)accomplish, cease, consume (away), determine, destroy (utterly), be (when... were) done, (be an) end (of), expire, (cause to) fail, faint, finish, fulfil, [idiom] fully, [idiom] have, leave (off), long, bring to pass, wholly reap, make cle…

Jewish translation (JPS 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.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

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.

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.

Darby Translation

For the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of Jehovah shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume, like smoke shall they consume away.

Douay-Rheims

But my enemies live, and are stronger that I: and they hate me wrongfully are multiplied.

Jewish Publication Society (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.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

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.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ὅτι οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἀπολοῦνται, οἱ δὲ ἐχθροὶ τοῦ Κυρίου ἅμα τῷ δοξασθῆναι αὐτοὺς καὶ ὑψωθῆναι, ἐκλείποντες ὡσεὶ καπνὸς ἐξέλιπον.