< Psalms 73 >

1 A Melody of Asaph. Nothing but good, is God, Unto Israel, Unto the pure in heart.
Surely God is good to Israel, to such as are pure in heart.
2 But, as for me, —My feet had, almost stumbled, My steps had, well-nigh slipped;
But as for me, my feet were almost gone. My steps had well nigh slipped.
3 For I was envious of the boasters, At the prosperity of the lawless, used I to look.
For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For they have no pangs in their death, And vigorous is their body;
For there are no pangs in their death, but their strength is firm.
5 Of the toil of weak mortals, have they none, Nor, with the sons of earth, are they hard smitten.
They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like other men.
6 For this cause, doth arrogance deck them as a neck-chain, And a garment of wrong is their attire;
Therefore pride is as a chain around their neck. Violence covers them as a garment.
7 Their iniquity, hath proceeded from fatness, They have surpassed the imaginations of the heart;
Their eyes stand out with fatness. They have more than heart could wish.
8 They mock, and wickedly command oppression, From on high, they command;
They scoff, and in wickedness utter oppression. They speak loftily.
9 They have set, in the heavens, their mouth, And, their tongue, marcheth through the earth.
They have set their mouth in the heavens, and their tongue walks through the earth.
10 Therefore must his people return thither, And, the waters of abundance, are drained by them;
Therefore his people return here, and waters of a full cup are drained by them.
11 And they say—How doth GOD know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?
And they say, How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?
12 Lo! these, are the lawless, Who are secure for an age, They have attained unto wealth.
Behold, these are the wicked, and those who always prosper. They have possessed wealth.
13 Altogether in vain, Have I cleansed my heart, And bathed in pureness, my hands;
Surely in vain I have cleansed my heart, and washed my hands in innocence,
14 And yet been smitten all the day, And been rebuked morning by morning!
for all the day long I have been plagued, and chastened every morning.
15 If I had thought, I will relate it thus, Lo! the circle of thy sons, had I betrayed.
If I had said, I will speak thus, behold, I would have dealt treacherously with the generation of thy sons.
16 When I reasoned, that I might understand this, A vexation, it was in mine eyes:
When I thought how I might understand this, it was too painful for me,
17 Until I could enter the holy places of God, —Could give heed to their hereafter: —
until I went into the sanctuary of God, and considered their latter end.
18 Surely, in slippery places, dost thou set them, —Thou hast suffered them to fall into places of danger.
Surely thou set them in slippery places. Thou cast them down to destruction.
19 How have they become desolate, as in a moment! They have ceased—come to an end, by reason of calamities.
How they have become a desolation in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors.
20 As the dream of him that waketh, O my Lord! when rousing thyself up, their shadowy being, wilt thou despise.
As a dream from awakening, O Lord, when thou waken, thou will despise their form.
21 But my heart had grown embittered, And, in my reins, had I received wounds;
For my soul was grieved, and I was pricked in my heart.
22 But, I, was brutish, and could not perceive, Like the beasts, had I become before thee.
So I was brutish, and ignorant. I was a beast before thee.
23 Nevertheless, I, am continually before thee, Thou hast taken hold of my right hand;
Nevertheless I am continually with thee. Thou have held my right hand.
24 By thy counsel, wilt thou guide me, And, afterwards, unto glory, wilt thou take me.
Thou will guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in the heavens? And, compared with thee, there is nothing I desire on earth.
Whom have I in heaven? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee.
26 Failed have my flesh and my heart, The rock of my heart—and my portion, is God unto times age-abiding.
My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 For lo! they who are far from thee, shall perish, Thou hast put an end to every one who wandered unchastely from thee.
For, lo, those who are far from thee shall perish. Thou have destroyed all those who go a whoring from thee.
28 But, as for me, the drawing near of God, is my blessedness, —I have made, of My Lord Yahweh, my refuge, —That I may recount all thy 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.

< Psalms 73 >