< Psalms 73 >
1 A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, to such as are of a pure heart.
A PSALM OF ASAPH. Surely God [is] good to Israel, 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, my steps have slipped, For I have been envious of the boastful,
3 For I was envious at the arrogant, seeing the prosperity of the wicked.
I see the peace of the wicked, That there are no bands at their death,
4 For they have no pangs in their death, and their body is well nourished;
And their might [is] firm.
5 They have not the hardships of mankind, neither are they plagued like [other] men:
They are not in the misery of mortals, And they are not plagued with common men.
6 Therefore pride encompasseth them as a neck-chain, violence covereth them [as] a garment;
Therefore pride has encircled them, Violence covers them as a dress.
7 Their eyes stand out from fatness, they exceed the imaginations of their heart:
Their eye has come out from fat. The imaginations of the heart transgressed;
8 They mock and speak wickedly of oppression, they speak loftily:
They do corruptly, And they speak in the wickedness of oppression, They speak from on high.
9 They set their mouth in the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.
They have set their mouth in the heavens, And their tongue walks in the earth.
10 Therefore his people turn hither, and waters in fulness are wrung out to them.
Therefore His people return here, And waters of fullness are wrung out to them.
11 And they say, How can God know, and is there knowledge in the Most High?
And they have said, “How has God known? And is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12 Behold, these are the wicked, and they prosper in the world: they heap up riches.
Behold, these [are] the wicked and easy ones of the age, They have increased strength.
13 Truly have I purified my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency:
Only—a vain thing! I have purified my heart, And I wash my hands in innocence,
14 For all the day have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
And I am plagued all the day, And my reproof—every morning.
15 If I said, I will speak thus, behold, I should be faithless to the generation of thy children.
If I have said, “I recount thus,” Behold, I have deceived a generation of Your sons.
16 When I thought to be able to know this, it was a grievous task in mine eyes;
And I think to know this, It [is] perverseness in my eyes,
17 Until I went into the sanctuaries of God; [then] understood I their end.
Until I come into the sanctuaries of God, I attend to their latter end.
18 Truly thou settest them in slippery places, thou castest them down in ruins.
Surely You set them in slippery places, You have caused them to fall to desolations.
19 How are they suddenly made desolate! they pass away, consumed with terrors.
How they have become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended—consumed from terrors.
20 As a dream, when one awaketh, wilt thou, Lord, on arising despise their image.
As a dream from awakening, O Lord, In awaking, You despise their image.
21 When my heart was in a ferment, and I was pricked in my reins,
For my heart shows itself violent, And my reins prick themselves,
22 Then I was brutish and knew nothing; I was [as] a beast with thee.
And I am brutish, and do not know. I have been a beast with You.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden my right hand;
And I [am] continually with You, You have laid hold on my right hand.
24 Thou wilt guide me by thy counsel, and after the glory, thou wilt receive me.
You lead me with Your counsel, And after, receive me [to] glory.
25 Whom have I in the heavens? and there is none upon earth I desire beside thee.
Whom do I have in the heavens? And none have I desired in earth [besides] You.
26 My flesh and my heart faileth: God is the rock of my heart and my portion for ever.
My flesh and my heart have been consumed, God [is] the rock of my heart and my portion for all time.
27 For behold, they that are far from thee shall perish; thou destroyest every one that goeth a whoring from thee.
For behold, those far from You perish, You have cut off everyone, Who is going whoring from You.
28 But as for me, it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord Jehovah, that I may declare all thy works.
And [the] nearness of God to me [is] good, I have placed my refuge in Lord YHWH, To recount all Your works!