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. 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 at the arrogant, seeing the prosperity of the wicked.
The peace of the wicked I see, 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:
In the misery of mortals they are not, And with common men they are not plagued.
6 Therefore pride encompasseth them as a neck-chain, violence covereth them [as] a garment;
Therefore hath pride encircled them, Violence covereth them as a dress.
7 Their eyes stand out from fatness, they exceed the imaginations of their heart:
Their eye hath 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, From on high they speak.
9 They set their mouth in the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.
They have set in the heavens their mouth, And their tongue walketh in the earth.
10 Therefore his people turn hither, and waters in fulness are wrung out to them.
Therefore do His people return hither, And waters of fulness 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 hath 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.
Lo, 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 in innocency my hands,
14 For all the day have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
And I am plagued all the day, And my reproof [is] 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,' Lo, a generation of Thy sons I have deceived.
16 When I thought to be able to know this, it was a grievous task in mine eyes;
And I think to know this, Perverseness it [is] in mine eyes,
17 Until I went into the sanctuaries of God; [then] understood I their end.
Till I come in to the sanctuaries of God, I attend to their latter end.
18 Truly thou settest them in slippery places, thou castest them down in ruins.
Only, in slippery places Thou dost set them, Thou hast caused them to fall to desolations.
19 How are they suddenly made desolate! they pass away, consumed with terrors.
How have they 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, their image Thou despisest.
21 When my heart was in a ferment, and I was pricked in my reins,
For my heart doth show 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. A beast I have been with Thee.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden my right hand;
And I [am] continually with Thee, Thou hast laid hold on my right hand.
24 Thou wilt guide me by thy counsel, and after the glory, thou wilt receive me.
With Thy counsel Thou dost lead me, And after honour dost receive me.
25 Whom have I in the heavens? and there is none upon earth I desire beside thee.
Whom have I in the heavens? And with Thee none I have desired in earth.
26 My flesh and my heart faileth: God is the rock of my heart and my portion for ever.
Consumed hath been my flesh and my heart, The rock of my heart and my portion [is] God to the age.
27 For behold, they that are far from thee shall perish; thou destroyest every one that goeth 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 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 I — nearness of God to me [is] good, I have placed in the Lord Jehovah my refuge, To recount all Thy works!
