Psalms 73
1 A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, to such as are of a pure heart.
`The salm of Asaph. God of Israel is ful good; to hem that ben of riytful herte.
2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped;
But my feet weren moued almeest; my steppis weren sched out almeest.
3 For I was envious at the arrogant, seeing the prosperity of the wicked.
For Y louede feruentli on wickid men; seynge the pees of synneris.
4 For they have no pangs in their death, and their body is well nourished;
For biholdyng is not to the deth of hem; and stidefastnesse in the sikenesse of hem.
5 They have not the hardships of mankind, neither are they plagued like [other] men:
Thei ben not in the trauel of men; and thei schulen not be betun with men.
6 Therefore pride encompasseth them as a neck-chain, violence covereth them [as] a garment;
Therfore pride helde hem; thei weren hilid with her wickidnesse and vnfeithfulnesse.
7 Their eyes stand out from fatness, they exceed the imaginations of their heart:
The wickidnesse of hem cam forth as of fatnesse; thei yeden in to desire of herte.
8 They mock and speak wickedly of oppression, they speak loftily:
Thei thouyten and spaken weiwardnesse; thei spaken wickidnesse an hiy.
9 They set their mouth in the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.
Thei puttiden her mouth in to heuene; and her tunge passide in erthe.
10 Therefore his people turn hither, and waters in fulness are wrung out to them.
Therfor my puple schal be conuertid here; and fulle daies schulen be foundun in hem.
11 And they say, How can God know, and is there knowledge in the Most High?
And thei seiden, How woot God; and whether kunnyng is an heiye, `that is, in heuene?
12 Behold, these are the wicked, and they prosper in the world: they heap up riches.
Lo! thilke synneris and hauynge aboundance in the world; helden richessis.
13 Truly have I purified my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency:
And Y seide, Therfor without cause Y iustifiede myn herte; and waischide myn hoondis among innocentis.
14 For all the day have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
And Y was betun al dai; and my chastisyng was in morutidis.
15 If I said, I will speak thus, behold, I should be faithless to the generation of thy children.
If Y seide, Y schal telle thus; lo! Y repreuede the nacioun of thi sones.
16 When I thought to be able to know this, it was a grievous task in mine eyes;
I gesside, that Y schulde knowe this; trauel is bifore me.
17 Until I went into the sanctuaries of God; [then] understood I their end.
Til Y entre in to the seyntuarie of God; and vndurstonde in the last thingis of hem.
18 Truly thou settest them in slippery places, thou castest them down in ruins.
Netheles for gilis thou hast put to hem; thou castidist hem doun, while thei weren reisid.
19 How are they suddenly made desolate! they pass away, consumed with terrors.
Hou ben thei maad into desolacioun; thei failiden sodeynli, thei perischiden for her wickidnesse.
20 As a dream, when one awaketh, wilt thou, Lord, on arising despise their image.
As the dreem of men that risen; Lord, thou schalt dryue her ymage to nouyt in thi citee.
21 When my heart was in a ferment, and I was pricked in my reins,
For myn herte is enflaumed, and my reynes ben chaungid;
22 Then I was brutish and knew nothing; I was [as] a beast with thee.
and Y am dryuun to nouyt, and Y wiste not.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden my right hand;
As a werk beeste Y am maad at thee; and Y am euere with thee.
24 Thou wilt guide me by thy counsel, and after the glory, thou wilt receive me.
Thou heldist my riythond, and in thi wille thou leddist me forth; and with glorie thou tokist me vp.
25 Whom have I in the heavens? and there is none upon earth I desire beside thee.
For whi what is to me in heuene; and what wolde Y of thee on erthe?
26 My flesh and my heart faileth: God is the rock of my heart and my portion for ever.
Mi fleische and myn herte failide; God of myn herte, and my part is God withouten ende.
27 For behold, they that are far from thee shall perish; thou destroyest every one that goeth a whoring from thee.
For lo! thei that drawen awei fer hem silf fro thee, `bi deedli synne, schulen perische; thou hast lost alle men that doen fornycacioun fro thee.
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.
But it is good to me to cleue to God; and to sette myn hope in the Lord God. That Y telle alle thi prechyngis; in the yatis of the douyter of Syon.
