37:13 The Lord laughs in disgust 1 at them,
for he knows that their day is coming. 2
37:14 Evil men draw their swords
and prepare their bows,
to bring down 3 the oppressed and needy,
and to slaughter those who are godly. 4
37:15 Their swords will pierce 5 their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
1 tn Heb “laughs.” As the next line indicates, this refers to derisive laughter (see 2:4). The Hebrew imperfect verbal form describes the action from the perspective of an eye-witness who is watching the divine response as it unfolds before his eyes.
2 tn Heb “for he sees that his day is coming.” As the following context makes clear (vv. 15, 17, 19-20), “his day” refers to the time when God will destroy evildoers.
3 tn Heb “to cause to fall.”
4 tn Heb “the upright in way,” i.e., those who lead godly lives.
5 tn Heb “enter into.”