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,
A Psalm for Asaph. How good is God to Israel, to the upright in heart!
2 As nothing, my steps have slipped, For I have been envious of the boastful,
But my feet were almost overthrown; my goings very nearly slipped.
3 I see the peace of the wicked, That there are no bands at their death,
For I was jealous of the transgressors, beholding the tranquility of sinners.
4 And their might [is] firm.
For there is no sign of reluctance in their death: and [they have] firmness under their affliction.
5 They are not in the misery of mortals, And they are not plagued with common men.
They are not in the troubles of [other] men; and they shall not be scourged with [other] men.
6 Therefore pride has encircled them, Violence covers them as a dress.
Therefore pride has possessed them; they have clothed themselves with their injustice and ungodliness.
7 Their eye has come out from fat. The imaginations of the heart transgressed;
Their injustice shall go forth as out of fatness: they have fulfilled their intention.
8 They do corruptly, And they speak in the wickedness of oppression, They speak from on high.
They have taken counsel and spoken in wickedness: they have uttered unrighteousness loftily.
9 They have set their mouth in the heavens, And their tongue walks in the earth.
They have set their mouth against heaven, and their tongue has gone through upon the earth.
10 Therefore His people return here, And waters of fullness are wrung out to them.
Therefore shall my people return hither: and full days shall be found with them.
11 And they have said, “How has God known? And is there knowledge in the Most High?”
And they said, 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 sinners, and they that prosper always: they have possessed wealth.
13 Only—a vain thing! I have purified my heart, And I wash my hands in innocence,
And I said, Verily in vain have I justified my heart, and washed my hands in innocency.
14 And I am plagued all the day, And my reproof—every morning.
For I was plagued all the day, and my reproof [was] every morning.
15 If I have said, “I recount thus,” Behold, I have deceived a generation of Your sons.
If I said, I will speak thus; behold, I [should] have broken covenant with the generation of your children.
16 And I think to know this, It [is] perverseness in my eyes,
And I undertook to understand this, [but] it is too hard for me,
17 Until I come into the sanctuaries of God, I attend to their latter end.
until I go into the sanctuary of God; [and so] understand the latter end.
18 Surely You set them in slippery places, You have caused them to fall to desolations.
Surely you have appointed [judgments] to them because of their crafty dealings: you have cast them down when they were lifted up.
19 How they have become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended—consumed from terrors.
How have they become desolate! suddenly they have failed: they have perished because of their iniquity.
20 As a dream from awakening, O Lord, In awaking, You despise their image.
As the dream of one awakening, O Lord, in your city you will despise their image.
21 For my heart shows itself violent, And my reins prick themselves,
For my heart has rejoiced, and my reins have been gladdened.
22 And I am brutish, and do not know. I have been a beast with You.
But I [was] vile and knew not: I became brutish before you.
23 And I [am] continually with You, You have laid hold on my right hand.
Yet I am continually with you: you have holden my right hand.
24 You lead me with Your counsel, And after, receive me [to] glory.
You have guided me by your counsel, and you have taken me to yourself with glory.
25 Whom do I have in the heavens? And none have I desired in earth [besides] You.
For what have I in heaven [but you]? and what have I desired upon the earth 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 heart and my flesh have failed: [but] God [is the strength] of my heart, and God is my portion for ever.
27 For behold, those far from You perish, You have cut off everyone, Who is going whoring from You.
For, behold, they that remove themselves far from you shall perish: you have destroyed every one that goes 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 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.
