Psalms 73
1 A psalm for Asaph. How good is God to Israel, to them that are of a right heart!
A Psalme committed to Asaph. Yet God is good to Israel: euen, to the pure in heart.
2 But my feet were almost moved; my steps had well nigh slipped.
As for me, my feete were almost gone: my steps had well neere slipt.
3 Because I had a zeal on occasion of the wicked, seeing the prosperity of sinners.
For I feared at the foolish, when I sawe the prosperitie of the wicked.
4 For there is no regard to their death, nor is there strength in their stripes.
For there are no bandes in their death, but they are lustie and strong.
5 They are not in the labour of men: neither shall they be scourged like other men.
They are not in trouble as other men, neither are they plagued with other men.
6 Therefore pride hath held them fast: they are covered with their iniquity and their wickedness.
Therefore pride is as a chayne vnto them, and crueltie couereth them as a garment.
7 Their iniquity hath come forth, as it were from fatness: they have passed into the affection of the heart.
Their eyes stande out for fatnesse: they haue more then heart can wish.
8 They have thought and spoken wickedness: they have spoken iniquity on high.
They are licentious, and speake wickedly of their oppression: they talke presumptuously.
9 They have set their mouth against heaven: and their tongue hath passed through the earth.
They set their mouth against heauen, and their tongue walketh through the earth.
10 Therefore will my people return here and full days shall be found in them.
Therefore his people turne hither: for waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.
11 And they said: How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?
And they say, Howe doeth God know it? or is there knowledge in the most High?
12 Behold these are sinners; and yet abounding in the world they have obtained riches.
Lo, these are the wicked, yet prosper they alway, and increase in riches.
13 And I said: Then have I in vain justified my heart, and washed my hands among the innocent.
Certainely I haue clensed mine heart in vaine, and washed mine hands in innocencie.
14 And I have been scourged all the day; and my chastisement hath been in the mornings.
For dayly haue I bene punished, and chastened euery morning.
15 If I said: I will speak thus; behold I should condemn the generation of thy children.
If I say, I will iudge thus, beholde the generation of thy children: I haue trespassed.
16 I studied that I might know this thing, it is a labour in my sight:
Then thought I to know this, but it was too painefull for me,
17 Until I go into the sanctuary of God, and understand concerning their last ends.
Vntill I went into the Sanctuarie of God: then vnderstoode I their ende.
18 But indeed for deceits thou hast put it to them: when they were lifted up thou hast cast them down.
Surely thou hast set them in slipperie places, and castest them downe into desolation.
19 How are they brought to desolation? they have suddenly ceased to be: they have perished by reason of their iniquity.
How suddenly are they destroyed, perished and horribly consumed,
20 As the dream of them that awake, O Lord; so in thy city thou shalt bring their image to nothing.
As a dreame when one awaketh! O Lord, when thou raisest vs vp, thou shalt make their image despised.
21 For my heart hath been inflamed, and my reins have been changed:
Certainely mine heart was vexed, and I was pricked in my reines:
22 And I am brought to nothing, and I knew not.
So foolish was I and ignorant: I was a beast before thee.
23 I am become as a beast before thee: and I am always with thee.
Yet I was alway with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.
24 Thou hast held me by my right hand; and by thy will thou hast conducted me, and with thy glory thou hast received me.
Thou wilt guide me by thy counsell, and afterward receiue me to glory.
25 For what have I in heaven? and besides thee what do I desire upon earth?
Whom haue I in heauen but thee? and I haue desired none in the earth with thee.
26 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.
My flesh fayleth and mine heart also: but God is the strength of mine heart, and my portion for euer.
27 For behold they that go far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that are disloyal to thee.
For loe, they that withdrawe themselues from thee, shall perish: thou destroyest all them that goe a whoring from thee.
28 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.
As for me, it is good for me to draw neere to God: therefore I haue put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy workes.
