Psalms 73
1 A psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose minds are pure.
A psalm of Asaph. Yes, God is good to the upright, the Lord to the pure in heart.
2 But I was stumbling, my feet were starting to slide,
But my feet were almost gone, my steps had nearly slipped,
3 because I was jealous of self-important people—I saw how well the wicked were doing.
through envy of godless braggarts, when I saw how well they fared.
4 They don't ever seem to get sick; they are strong and healthy.
For never a pang have they, their body is sound and sleek.
5 They don't have problems like other people; they don't get hit by disasters like everybody else.
They have no trouble like mortals, no share in human pain.
6 They wear their pride like a necklace; they clothe themselves with violence.
So they wear their pride like a necklace, they put on the garment of wrong,
7 Their eyes bulge out because they're so fat; their minds are full of selfish vanity.
their eyes stand out with fatness, their heart swells with riotous fancies.
8 They mock people, and speak maliciously; they arrogantly threaten cruelty.
Their speech is mocking and evil, condescending and crooked their speech.
9 They talk irreverently against heaven above, and defame people here on earth.
They have set their mouth in the heavens, while their tongue struts about on the earth.
10 As a result people turn to them and drink in everything they say.
Small wonder that people resort to them, and drink deep draughts of their lore.
11 “God won't find out,” they say. “The Most High doesn't even know what's going on!”
“How does God know?” they say, “And has the Most High any knowledge?”
12 Look at these wicked people! They don't have a care in the world, and they're always making money!
See! These are the godless, with wealth and ease ever increasing.
13 It's been pointless to keep my mind pure and my hands clean.
Yes, in vain have I kept my heart pure, and washed my hands in innocence;
14 I'm cursed with suffering all day long; every morning I'm punished.
for all the day long was I plagued not a morning but I was chastised.
15 If I'd talked like this to others, I would have betrayed your people.
But to resolve to speak like they do would be treachery to your children.
16 So I thought about it and tried to understand, but it looked like a lot of hard work to me—
So I sought to understand it, but a wearisome task it seemed:
17 until I went into God's Temple. Then I understood what happens to the wicked in the end.
till I entered the holy world of God and saw clearly their destiny.
18 For you send them on a slippery path; you throw them down to destruction.
Yes, you set them on slippery places; down to destruction you hurl them.
19 How quickly they're destroyed! They come to a terrifying end.
One moment and then what a horror of ruin! They are finished and ended in terrors.
20 Like waking up from a dream, Lord—when you get up you will forget all about them!
Like a dream, when one wakes, shall they be, whose phantoms the waker despises.
21 At that time my thoughts were bitter. I felt like I had been stabbed.
So my bitterness of mind and the pain that stabbed my heart
22 I was stupid and ignorant. I was like a brute beast to you.
show how dull I was and stupid just like a beast before you.
23 Yet I'm always with you; you hold me by the hand.
But I am always with you, you have hold of my right hand.
24 You tell me what to do; and ultimately you will welcome me in glory.
By a plan of yours you guide me and will afterward take me to glory.
25 Who is there in heaven for me except you? And I want nothing on earth except you.
Whom have I in the heavens but you? And on earth there is none I desire beside you.
26 My body and my mind may fail, but God is the foundation of my life. He is mine forever!
Though flesh and heart waste away, yet God is the rock of my heart, yet God is my portion forever.
27 Those people who are far from God will die. You destroy all those unfaithful to you.
For see! Those who are far from you must perish, you destroy all who are false to you.
28 But I love to stay close to God! I have chosen the Lord God to protect me. I will share all that you have done.
But I am happy when close to God; the Lord my God I have made my refuge, that I may recount all the things you have done.
