Psalms 73
1 A Psalme committed to Asaph. Yet God is good to Israel: euen, to the pure in heart.
A Melody of Asaph. Nothing but good, is God, Unto Israel, Unto the pure in heart.
2 As for me, my feete were almost gone: my steps had well neere slipt.
But, as for me, —My feet had, almost stumbled, My steps had, well-nigh slipped;
3 For I feared at the foolish, when I sawe the prosperitie of the wicked.
For I was envious of the boasters, At the prosperity of the lawless, used I to look.
4 For there are no bandes in their death, but they are lustie and strong.
For they have no pangs in their death, And vigorous is their body;
5 They are not in trouble as other men, neither are they plagued with other men.
Of the toil of weak mortals, have they none, Nor, with the sons of earth, are they hard smitten.
6 Therefore pride is as a chayne vnto them, and crueltie couereth them as a garment.
For this cause, doth arrogance deck them as a neck-chain, And a garment of wrong is their attire;
7 Their eyes stande out for fatnesse: they haue more then heart can wish.
Their iniquity, hath proceeded from fatness, They have surpassed the imaginations of the heart;
8 They are licentious, and speake wickedly of their oppression: they talke presumptuously.
They mock, and wickedly command oppression, From on high, they command;
9 They set their mouth against heauen, and their tongue walketh through the earth.
They have set, in the heavens, their mouth, And, their tongue, marcheth through the earth.
10 Therefore his people turne hither: for waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.
Therefore must his people return thither, And, the waters of abundance, are drained by them;
11 And they say, Howe doeth God know it? or is there knowledge in the most High?
And they say—How doth GOD know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?
12 Lo, these are the wicked, yet prosper they alway, and increase in riches.
Lo! these, are the lawless, Who are secure for an age, They have attained unto wealth.
13 Certainely I haue clensed mine heart in vaine, and washed mine hands in innocencie.
Altogether in vain, Have I cleansed my heart, And bathed in pureness, my hands;
14 For dayly haue I bene punished, and chastened euery morning.
And yet been smitten all the day, And been rebuked morning by morning!
15 If I say, I will iudge thus, beholde the generation of thy children: I haue trespassed.
If I had thought, I will relate it thus, Lo! the circle of thy sons, had I betrayed.
16 Then thought I to know this, but it was too painefull for me,
When I reasoned, that I might understand this, A vexation, it was in mine eyes:
17 Vntill I went into the Sanctuarie of God: then vnderstoode I their ende.
Until I could enter the holy places of God, —Could give heed to their hereafter: —
18 Surely thou hast set them in slipperie places, and castest them downe into desolation.
Surely, in slippery places, dost thou set them, —Thou hast suffered them to fall into places of danger.
19 How suddenly are they destroyed, perished and horribly consumed,
How have they become desolate, as in a moment! They have ceased—come to an end, by reason of calamities.
20 As a dreame when one awaketh! O Lord, when thou raisest vs vp, thou shalt make their image despised.
As the dream of him that waketh, O my Lord! when rousing thyself up, their shadowy being, wilt thou despise.
21 Certainely mine heart was vexed, and I was pricked in my reines:
But my heart had grown embittered, And, in my reins, had I received wounds;
22 So foolish was I and ignorant: I was a beast before thee.
But, I, was brutish, and could not perceive, Like the beasts, had I become before thee.
23 Yet I was alway with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.
Nevertheless, I, am continually before thee, Thou hast taken hold of my right hand;
24 Thou wilt guide me by thy counsell, and afterward receiue me to glory.
By thy counsel, wilt thou guide me, And, afterwards, unto glory, wilt thou take me.
25 Whom haue I in heauen but thee? and I haue desired none in the earth with thee.
Whom have I in the heavens? And, compared with thee, there is nothing I desire on earth.
26 My flesh fayleth and mine heart also: but God is the strength of mine heart, and my portion for euer.
Failed have my flesh and my heart, The rock of my heart—and my portion, is God unto times age-abiding.
27 For loe, they that withdrawe themselues from thee, shall perish: thou destroyest all them that goe a whoring from thee.
For lo! they who are far from thee, shall perish, Thou hast put an end to every one who wandered unchastely from thee.
28 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.
But, as for me, the drawing near of God, is my blessedness, —I have made, of My Lord Yahweh, my refuge, —That I may recount all thy works.
