Psalms 73
1 Surely God is good to Israel, to such as are pure in heart.
A Psalm of Asaph. Only — good to Israel [is] God, to the clean of heart. And I — as a little thing, My feet have been turned aside,
2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone. My steps had well nigh slipped.
As nothing, have my steps slipped, For I have been envious of the boastful,
3 For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
The peace of the wicked I see, That there are no bands at their death,
4 For there are no pangs in their death, but their strength is firm.
And their might [is] firm.
5 They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like other men.
In the misery of mortals they are not, And with common men they are not plagued.
6 Therefore pride is as a chain around their neck. Violence covers them as a garment.
Therefore hath pride encircled them, Violence covereth them as a dress.
7 Their eyes stand out with fatness. They have more than heart could wish.
Their eye hath come out from fat. The imaginations of the heart transgressed;
8 They scoff, and in wickedness utter oppression. They speak loftily.
They do corruptly, And they speak in the wickedness of oppression, From on high they speak.
9 They have set their mouth in the heavens, and their tongue walks through the earth.
They have set in the heavens their mouth, And their tongue walketh in the earth.
10 Therefore his people return here, and waters of a full cup are drained by them.
Therefore do His people return hither, And waters of fulness are wrung out to them.
11 And they say, How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?
And they have said, 'How hath God known? And is there knowledge in the Most High?'
12 Behold, these are the wicked, and those who always prosper. They have possessed wealth.
Lo, these [are] the wicked and easy ones of the age, They have increased strength.
13 Surely in vain I have cleansed my heart, and washed my hands in innocence,
Only — a vain thing! I have purified my heart, And I wash in innocency my hands,
14 for all the day long I have been plagued, and chastened every morning.
And I am plagued all the day, And my reproof [is] every morning.
15 If I had said, I will speak thus, behold, I would have dealt treacherously with the generation of thy sons.
If I have said, 'I recount thus,' Lo, a generation of Thy sons I have deceived.
16 When I thought how I might understand this, it was too painful for me,
And I think to know this, Perverseness it [is] in mine eyes,
17 until I went into the sanctuary of God, and considered their latter end.
Till I come in to the sanctuaries of God, I attend to their latter end.
18 Surely thou set them in slippery places. Thou cast them down to destruction.
Only, in slippery places Thou dost set them, Thou hast caused them to fall to desolations.
19 How they have become a desolation in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors.
How have they become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended — consumed from terrors.
20 As a dream from awakening, O Lord, when thou waken, thou will despise their form.
As a dream from awakening, O Lord, In awaking, their image Thou despisest.
21 For my soul was grieved, and I was pricked in my heart.
For my heart doth show itself violent, And my reins prick themselves,
22 So I was brutish, and ignorant. I was a beast before thee.
And I am brutish, and do not know. A beast I have been with Thee.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee. Thou have held my right hand.
And I [am] continually with Thee, Thou hast laid hold on my right hand.
24 Thou will guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
With Thy counsel Thou dost lead me, And after honour dost receive me.
25 Whom have I in heaven? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee.
Whom have I in the heavens? And with Thee none I have desired in earth.
26 My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Consumed hath been my flesh and my heart, The rock of my heart and my portion [is] God to the age.
27 For, lo, those who are far from thee shall perish. Thou have destroyed all those who go a whoring from thee.
For, lo, those far from Thee do perish, Thou hast cut off every one, Who is going a whoring from Thee.
28 But it is good for me to draw near to God. I have made the lord Jehovah my refuge, that I may tell of all thy works.
And I — nearness of God to me [is] good, I have placed in the Lord Jehovah my refuge, To recount all Thy works!
