< Psalms 73 >

1 A Psalm for Asaph. How good is God to Israel, to the upright in heart!
A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, to such as are of a pure heart.
2 But my feet were almost overthrown; my goings very nearly slipped.
But as for me, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped;
3 For I was jealous of the transgressors, beholding the tranquility of sinners.
For I was envious at the arrogant, seeing the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For there is no sign of reluctance in their death: and [they have] firmness under their affliction.
For they have no pangs in their death, and their body is well nourished;
5 They are not in the troubles of [other] men; and they shall not be scourged with [other] men.
They have not the hardships of mankind, neither are they plagued like [other] men:
6 Therefore pride has possessed them; they have clothed themselves with their injustice and ungodliness.
Therefore pride encompasseth them as a neck-chain, violence covereth them [as] a garment;
7 Their injustice shall go forth as out of fatness: they have fulfilled their intention.
Their eyes stand out from fatness, they exceed the imaginations of their heart:
8 They have taken counsel and spoken in wickedness: they have uttered unrighteousness loftily.
They mock and speak wickedly of oppression, they speak loftily:
9 They have set their mouth against heaven, and their tongue has gone through upon the earth.
They set their mouth in the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.
10 Therefore shall my people return hither: and full days shall be found with them.
Therefore his people turn hither, and waters in fulness are wrung out to them.
11 And they said, How does God know? and is there knowledge in the Most High?
And they say, How can God know, and is there knowledge in the Most High?
12 Behold, these [are] the sinners, and they that prosper always: they have possessed wealth.
Behold, these are the wicked, and they prosper in the world: they heap up riches.
13 And I said, Verily in vain have I justified my heart, and washed my hands in innocency.
Truly have I purified my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency:
14 For I was plagued all the day, and my reproof [was] every morning.
For all the day have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
15 If I said, I will speak thus; behold, I [should] have broken covenant with the generation of your children.
If I said, I will speak thus, behold, I should be faithless to the generation of thy children.
16 And I undertook to understand this, [but] it is too hard for me,
When I thought to be able to know this, it was a grievous task in mine eyes;
17 until I go into the sanctuary of God; [and so] understand the latter end.
Until I went into the sanctuaries of God; [then] understood I their end.
18 Surely you have appointed [judgments] to them because of their crafty dealings: you have cast them down when they were lifted up.
Truly thou settest them in slippery places, thou castest them down in ruins.
19 How have they become desolate! suddenly they have failed: they have perished because of their iniquity.
How are they suddenly made desolate! they pass away, consumed with terrors.
20 As the dream of one awakening, O Lord, in your city you will despise their image.
As a dream, when one awaketh, wilt thou, Lord, on arising despise their image.
21 For my heart has rejoiced, and my reins have been gladdened.
When my heart was in a ferment, and I was pricked in my reins,
22 But I [was] vile and knew not: I became brutish before you.
Then I was brutish and knew nothing; I was [as] a beast with thee.
23 Yet I am continually with you: you have holden my right hand.
Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden my right hand;
24 You have guided me by your counsel, and you have taken me to yourself with glory.
Thou wilt guide me by thy counsel, and after the glory, thou wilt receive me.
25 For what have I in heaven [but you]? and what have I desired upon the earth beside you?
Whom have I in the heavens? and there is none upon earth I desire beside thee.
26 My heart and my flesh have failed: [but] God [is the strength] of my heart, and God is my portion for ever.
My flesh and my heart faileth: God is the rock of my heart and my portion for ever.
27 For, behold, they that remove themselves far from you shall perish: you have destroyed every one that goes a whoring from you.
For behold, they that are far from thee shall perish; thou destroyest every one that goeth a whoring from thee.
28 But it is good for me to cleave close to God, to put my trust in the Lord; that I may proclaim all your praises in the gates of the daughter of Sion.
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.

< Psalms 73 >