The virtues recommended as a prescription for a long and happy life are: avoid malicious talk and lies (verse 13); cease doing evil and do good; and strive for peace (verse 14). In verse 13 your tongue and your lips are used synonymously and mean “to talk,” “to say something.” In some languages it may be appropriate and effective to speak of “tongue and lips” (see Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). In some languages it will be necessary to give content to “speaking evil”; for example, “Do not speak evil words” or “Do not say evil words about other people.”

Depart from evil must not be used as if one is departing from a place. In some languages the idea of avoiding evil is “Put your back where people do bad deeds,” or stated negatively, “Don’t turn your face toward evil.” Do good must often be completed with some grammatical complement, making explicit what is being done; for example, “Do things that cause good for people” or “Act in the way that is good for people.”

The word peace here is not merely the cessation of hostility between people; it is the presence of the conditions that make for prosperity, health, happiness, and the common welfare. Good News Translation “with all your heart” represents the force of the second verb, “to pursue (peace)”; Bible en français courant has “(Seek peace) diligently.” Seek peace and “strive for peace” must often be restructured so that the actors of peace are made explicit; for example, “work hard so that people will have peace.” In some languages having peace is described metaphorically; for example, “work hard so that people’s hearts will sit quietly within them” or “… so that people’s hearts will sit in the shade.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .