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,
“BOOK III. A psalm of Asaph.” Truly God is good to Israel, —To those who are pure in heart.
2 As nothing, my steps have slipped, For I have been envious of the boastful,
Yet my feet almost gave way; 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 proud, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 And their might [is] firm.
For they have no pains even to their death; Their bodies are in full health.
5 They are not in the misery of mortals, And they are not plagued with common men.
They have not the woes of other men, Neither are they smitten like other men.
6 Therefore pride has encircled them, Violence covers them as a dress.
Therefore pride encircleth their neck as a collar; Violence covereth them as a garment.
7 Their eye has come out from fat. The imaginations of the heart transgressed;
From their bosom issueth their iniquity; The designs of their hearts burst forth.
8 They do corruptly, And they speak in the wickedness of oppression, They speak from on high.
They mock, and speak of malicious oppression; Their words are haughty;
9 They have set their mouth in the heavens, And their tongue walks in the earth.
They stretch forth their mouth to the heavens, And their tongue goeth through the earth;
10 Therefore His people return here, And waters of fullness are wrung out to them.
Therefore his people walk in their ways, And there drink from full fountains.
11 And they have said, “How has God known? And is there knowledge in the Most High?”
And they say, “How doth God know? How can there be knowledge with the Most High?”
12 Behold, these [are] the wicked and easy ones of the age, They have increased strength.
Behold these are the ungodly! Yet they are ever prosperous; they heap up 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; In vain have I washed my hands in innocence.
14 And I am plagued all the day, And my reproof—every morning.
For every day have I been smitten; Every morn have I been chastened.
15 If I have said, “I recount thus,” Behold, I have deceived a generation of Your sons.
If I should resolve to speak like them, Surely I should be treacherous to the family of thy children.
16 And I think to know this, It [is] perverseness in my eyes,
So, when I studied to know this, It was painful to my eyes;
17 Until I come into the sanctuaries of God, I attend to their latter end.
Until I went into the sanctuaries of God, And considered what was their end.
18 Surely You set them in slippery places, You have caused them to fall to desolations.
Behold! thou hast set them on slippery places; Thou castest them down into unseen pits.
19 How they have become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended—consumed from terrors.
How are they brought to desolation in a moment, And utterly consumed with sudden destruction!
20 As a dream from awakening, O Lord, In awaking, You despise their image.
As a dream when one awaketh, Thou, O Lord! when thou awakest, wilt make their vain show a derision.
21 For my heart shows itself violent, And my reins prick themselves,
When my heart was vexed And I was pierced in my reins,
22 And I am brutish, and do not know. I have been a beast with You.
Then was I stupid and without understanding; I was like one of the brutes before thee.
23 And I [am] continually with You, You have laid hold on my right hand.
Yet am I ever under thy care; By my right hand thou dost hold me up.
24 You lead me with Your counsel, And after, receive me [to] glory.
Thou wilt guide me with thy counsel, And at last receive me in glory.
25 Whom do I have in the heavens? And none have I desired in earth [besides] You.
Whom have I in heaven but thee, And whom on earth do I love in comparison with thee?
26 My flesh and my heart have been consumed, God [is] the rock of my heart and my portion for all time.
Though my flesh and my heart fail, 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 who are far from thee perish; Thou destroyest all who estrange themselves 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 put my trust in the Lord Jehovah, That I may declare all thy works.
