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,
Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean 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 at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 And their might [is] firm.
For there are no bands 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; neither are they plagued like other men.
6 Therefore pride has encircled them, Violence covers them as a dress.
Therefore pride compasses them about as a chain; 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 are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.
9 They have set their mouth in the heavens, And their tongue walks in the earth.
They set their mouth against 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 wrung out to 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 ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.
13 Only—a vain thing! I have purified my heart, And I wash my hands in innocence,
Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence.
14 And I am plagued all the day, And my reproof—every morning.
For all the day long have I 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 say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of your children.
16 And I think to know this, It [is] perverseness in my eyes,
When I thought to know 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; then understood I their end.
18 Surely You set them in slippery places, You have caused them to fall to desolations.
Surely you did set them in slippery places: you casted them down into destruction.
19 How they have become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended—consumed from terrors.
How are they brought into desolation, as 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 when one awakes; so, O Lord, when you awake, you shall despise their image.
21 For my heart shows itself violent, And my reins prick themselves,
Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.
22 And I am brutish, and do not know. I have been a beast with You.
So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before you.
23 And I [am] continually with You, You have laid hold on my right hand.
Nevertheless I am continually with you: you have held me by my right hand.
24 You lead me with Your counsel, And after, receive me [to] glory.
You shall guide me with your 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 but you? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside you.
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 for ever.
27 For behold, those far from You perish, You have cut off everyone, Who is going whoring from You.
For, lo, they that are far from you shall perish: you have destroyed all them that go a whoring from you.
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 put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all your works.
