Psalms 73
1 A Psalm by Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
A psalm for Asaph. How good is God to Israel, to them that are of a right heart!
2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone. My steps had nearly slipped.
But my feet were almost moved; my steps had well nigh slipped.
3 For I was envious of the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
Because I had a zeal on occasion of the wicked, seeing the prosperity of sinners.
4 For there are no struggles in their death, but their strength is firm.
For there is no regard to their death, nor is there strength in their stripes.
5 They are free from burdens of men, neither are they plagued like other men.
They are not in the labour of men: neither shall they be scourged like other men.
6 Therefore pride is like a chain around their neck. Violence covers them like a garment.
Therefore pride hath held them fast: they are covered with their iniquity and their wickedness.
7 Their eyes bulge with fat. Their minds pass the limits of conceit.
Their iniquity hath come forth, as it were from fatness: they have passed into the affection of the heart.
8 They scoff and speak with malice. In arrogance, they threaten oppression.
They have thought and spoken wickedness: they have spoken iniquity on high.
9 They have set their mouth in the heavens. Their tongue walks through the earth.
They have set their mouth against heaven: and their tongue hath passed through the earth.
10 Therefore their people return to them, and they drink up waters of abundance.
Therefore will my people return here and full days shall be found in them.
11 They say, “How does God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
And they said: How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?
12 Behold, these are the wicked. Being always at ease, they increase in riches.
Behold these are sinners; and yet abounding in the world they have obtained riches.
13 Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence,
And I said: Then have I in vain justified my heart, and washed my hands among the innocent.
14 For all day long I have been plagued, and punished every morning.
And I have been scourged all the day; and my chastisement hath been in the mornings.
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus”, behold, I would have betrayed the generation of your children.
If I said: I will speak thus; behold I should condemn the generation of thy children.
16 When I tried to understand this, it was too painful for me—
I studied that I might know this thing, it is a labour in my sight:
17 until I entered God’s sanctuary, and considered their latter end.
Until I go into the sanctuary of God, and understand concerning their last ends.
18 Surely you set them in slippery places. You throw them down to destruction.
But indeed for deceits thou hast put it to them: when they were lifted up thou hast cast them down.
19 How they are suddenly destroyed! They are completely swept away with terrors.
How are they brought to desolation? they have suddenly ceased to be: they have perished by reason of their iniquity.
20 As a dream when one wakes up, so, Lord, when you awake, you will despise their fantasies.
As the dream of them that awake, O Lord; so in thy city thou shalt bring their image to nothing.
21 For my soul was grieved. I was embittered in my heart.
For my heart hath been inflamed, and my reins have been changed:
22 I was so senseless and ignorant. I was a brute beast before you.
And I am brought to nothing, and I knew not.
23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you. You have held my right hand.
I am become as a beast before thee: and I am always with thee.
24 You will guide me with your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
Thou hast held me by my right hand; and by thy will thou hast conducted me, and with thy glory thou hast received me.
25 Whom do I have in heaven? There is no one on earth whom I desire besides you.
For what have I in heaven? and besides thee what do I desire upon earth?
26 My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
For thee my flesh and my heart hath fainted away: thou art the God of my heart, and the God that is my portion for ever.
27 For, behold, those who are far from you shall perish. You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to you.
For behold they that go far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that are disloyal to thee.
28 But it is good for me to come close to God. I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.
But it is good for me to adhere to my God, to put my hope in the Lord God: That I may declare all thy praises, in the gates of the daughter of Sion.
