Psalms 73

1 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,

Surely God is good to Israel, to such as are pure in heart.

2 As nothing, my steps have slipped, For I have been envious of the boastful,

But as for me, my feet were almost gone. My steps had well nigh slipped.

3 I see the peace of the wicked, That there are no bands at their death,

For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4 And their might [is] firm.

For there are no pangs in their death, but their strength is firm.

5 They are not in the misery of mortals, And they are not plagued with common men.

They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like other men.

6 Therefore pride has encircled them, Violence covers them as a dress.

Therefore pride is as a chain around their neck. Violence covers them as a garment.

7 Their eye has come out from fat. The imaginations of the heart transgressed;

Their eyes stand out with fatness. They have more than heart could wish.

8 They do corruptly, And they speak in the wickedness of oppression, They speak from on high.

They scoff, and in wickedness utter oppression. They speak loftily.

9 They have set their mouth in the heavens, And their tongue walks in the earth.

They have set their mouth in the heavens, and their tongue walks through the earth.

10 Therefore His people return here, And waters of fullness are wrung out to them.

Therefore his people return here, and waters of a full cup are drained by them.

11 And they have said, “How has God known? And is there knowledge in the Most High?”

And they say, How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?

12 Behold, these [are] the wicked and easy ones of the age, They have increased strength.

Behold, these are the wicked, and those who always prosper. They have possessed wealth.

13 Only—a vain thing! I have purified my heart, And I wash my hands in innocence,

Surely in vain I have cleansed my heart, and washed my hands in innocence,

14 And I am plagued all the day, And my reproof—every morning.

for all the day long I have been plagued, and chastened every morning.

15 If I have said, “I recount thus,” Behold, I have deceived a generation of Your sons.

If I had said, I will speak thus, behold, I would have dealt treacherously with the generation of thy sons.

16 And I think to know this, It [is] perverseness in my eyes,

When I thought how I might understand this, it was too painful for me,

17 Until I come into the sanctuaries of God, I attend to their latter end.

until I went into the sanctuary of God, and considered their latter end.

18 Surely You set them in slippery places, You have caused them to fall to desolations.

Surely thou set them in slippery places. Thou cast them down to destruction.

19 How they have become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended—consumed from terrors.

How they have become a desolation in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors.

20 As a dream from awakening, O Lord, In awaking, You despise their image.

As a dream from awakening, O Lord, when thou waken, thou will despise their form.

21 For my heart shows itself violent, And my reins prick themselves,

For my soul was grieved, and I was pricked in my heart.

22 And I am brutish, and do not know. I have been a beast with You.

So I was brutish, and ignorant. I was a beast before thee.

23 And I [am] continually with You, You have laid hold on my right hand.

Nevertheless I am continually with thee. Thou have held my right hand.

24 You lead me with Your counsel, And after, receive me [to] glory.

Thou will guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

25 Whom do I have in the heavens? And none have I desired in earth [besides] You.

Whom have I in heaven? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee.

26 My flesh and my heart have been consumed, God [is] the rock of my heart and my portion for all time.

My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

27 For behold, those far from You perish, You have cut off everyone, Who is going whoring from You.

For, lo, those who are far from thee shall perish. Thou have destroyed all those who go a whoring from thee.

28 And [the] nearness of God to me [is] good, I have placed my refuge in Lord YHWH, To recount all Your works!

But it is good for me to draw near to God. I have made the lord Jehovah my refuge, that I may tell of all thy works.