Psalms 73
1 BOOK THIRD: “A Psalm of Assaph.” Truly God is good to Israel, to such as are pure of 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, it lacked but little that my feet had been moved: almost nothing was needed that my steps had 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 deadly fetters for them, but their strength is firm.
And their might [is] firm.
5 They share not in the trouble of mortals, and with men are they not afflicted.
They are not in the misery of mortals, And they are not plagued with common men.
6 Therefore is pride their neck-chain: violence envelopeth them as a garment.
Therefore pride has encircled them, Violence covers them as a dress.
7 Their eyes start out from fatness: they have exceeded their heart's imaginings.
Their eye has come out from fat. The imaginations of the heart transgressed;
8 They scorn, and speak wickedly of oppression: loftily do they speak.
They do corruptly, And they speak in the wickedness of oppression, They speak from on high.
9 They set their mouth in the heavens, and their tongue walketh busily on the earth.
They have set their mouth in the heavens, And their tongue walks in the earth.
10 Therefore do his people turn away hither: and waters of a full cup are drained by them.
Therefore His people return here, And waters of fullness are wrung out to them.
11 And they say, How should 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, these are the wicked; and yet prospering continually they increase in wealth.
Behold, these [are] the wicked and easy ones of the age, They have increased strength.
13 Verily in vain have I thus cleansed my heart, and have washed in innocency my hands:
Only—a vain thing! I have purified my heart, And I wash my hands in innocence,
14 While I was afflicted all the day, and my chastisement [came] every morning.
And I am plagued all the day, And my reproof—every morning.
15 But if I were to say, I will speak thus: behold, I would be treacherous against 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 should think to know this, it would be trouble in my eyes;
And I think to know this, It [is] perverseness in my eyes,
17 Until I enter into the sanctuary of God; and understand what their future will be.
Until I come into the sanctuaries of God, I attend to their latter end.
18 Surely thou placest them on slippery spots: thou lettest them fall down into destruction.
Surely You set them in slippery places, You have caused them to fall to desolations.
19 How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they perish, they come to their end with terrific events.
How they have become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended—consumed from terrors.
20 As a dream after awaking, O Lord, reject thou in wrath their image.
As a dream from awakening, O Lord, In awaking, You despise their image.
21 For it fermented in my heart, and in my reins I felt sharp thrusts;
For my heart shows itself violent, And my reins prick themselves,
22 But I was indeed foolish, and I knew it not: I was as a [thoughtless] beast with thee.
And I am brutish, and do not know. I have been a beast with You.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast seized hold of me by my right hand.
And I [am] continually with You, You have laid hold on my right hand.
24 With thy counsel wilt thou guide me, and afterward take me on to glory.
You lead me with Your counsel, And after, receive me [to] glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven? and beside thee I desire nothing upon earth.
Whom do I have in the heavens? And none have I desired in earth [besides] You.
26 Though my flesh and my heart should fall; yet the rock of my heart, and my portion will be God 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, those that are far from thee shall perish: thou destroyest every one that strayeth away from thee.
For behold, those far from You perish, You have cut off everyone, Who is going whoring from You.
28 But as regardeth me, to draw near to God is good for me: I have put in the Lord Eternal my trust, that I may relate 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!
