Psalms 73
1 BOOK III A Psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, even to such as are pure in heart.
A PSALM OF ASAPH. Surely God [is] good to Israel, 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, my steps have slipped, For I have been envious of the boastful,
3 For I was envious at the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
I see the peace of the wicked, That there are no bands at their death,
4 For there are no pangs at their death, and their body is sound.
And their might [is] firm.
5 In the trouble of man they are not; neither are they plagued like men.
They are not in the misery of mortals, And they are not plagued with common men.
6 Therefore pride is as a chain about their neck; violence covereth them as a garment.
Therefore pride has encircled them, Violence covers them as a dress.
7 Their eyes stand forth from fatness; they are gone beyond the imaginations of their heart.
Their eye has come out from fat. The imaginations of the heart transgressed;
8 They scoff, and in wickedness utter oppression; they speak as if there were none on high.
They do corruptly, And they speak in the wickedness of oppression, They speak from on high.
9 They have set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.
They have set their mouth in the heavens, And their tongue walks in the earth.
10 Therefore His people return hither; and waters of fullness are drained out by them.
Therefore His people return here, And waters of fullness are wrung out to them.
11 And they say: 'How doth God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?'
And they have said, “How has God known? And is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12 Behold, such are the wicked; and they that are always at ease increase riches.
Behold, these [are] the wicked and easy ones of the age, They have increased strength.
13 Surely in vain have I cleansed my heart, and washed my hands in innocency;
Only—a vain thing! I have purified my heart, And I wash my hands in innocence,
14 For all the day have I been plagued, and my chastisement came every morning.
And I am plagued all the day, And my reproof—every morning.
15 If I had said: 'I will speak thus', behold, I had been faithless to the generation of Thy children.
If I have said, “I recount thus,” Behold, I have deceived a generation of Your sons.
16 And when I pondered how I might know this, it was wearisome in mine eyes;
And I think to know this, It [is] perverseness in my eyes,
17 Until I entered into the sanctuary of God, and considered their end.
Until I come into the sanctuaries of God, I attend to their latter end.
18 Surely Thou settest them in slippery places; Thou hurlest them down to utter ruin.
Surely You set them in slippery places, You have caused them to fall to desolations.
19 How are they become a desolation in a moment! They are wholly consumed by terrors.
How they have become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended—consumed from terrors.
20 As a dream when one awaketh, so, O Lord, when Thou arousest Thyself, Thou wilt despise their semblance.
As a dream from awakening, O Lord, In awaking, You despise their image.
21 For my heart was in a ferment, and I was pricked in my reins.
For my heart shows itself violent, And my reins prick themselves,
22 But I was brutish, and ignorant; I was as a beast before Thee.
And I am brutish, and do not know. I have been a beast with You.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with Thee; Thou holdest my right hand.
And I [am] continually with You, You have laid hold on my right hand.
24 Thou wilt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me with glory.
You lead me with Your counsel, And after, receive me [to] glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And beside Thee I desire none upon earth.
Whom do I have in the heavens? And none have I desired in earth [besides] You.
26 My flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the rock of my heart and my portion for ever.
My flesh and my heart have been consumed, God [is] the rock of my heart and my portion for all time.
27 For, lo, they that go far from Thee shall perish; Thou dost destroy all them that go astray from Thee.
For behold, those far from You perish, You have cut off everyone, Who is going whoring from You.
28 But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all Thy works.
And [the] nearness of God to me [is] good, I have placed my refuge in Lord YHWH, To recount all Your works!
