Psalms 73
1 A Melody of Asaph. Nothing but good, is God, Unto Israel, Unto the pure in heart.
BOOK III A Psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, even 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 at 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 at their death, and their body is sound.
5 Of the toil of weak mortals, have they none, Nor, with the sons of earth, are they hard smitten.
In the trouble of man they are not; neither are they plagued like 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 about their neck; violence covereth them as a garment.
7 Their iniquity, hath proceeded from fatness, They have surpassed the imaginations of the heart;
Their eyes stand forth from fatness; they are gone beyond the imaginations of their heart.
8 They mock, and wickedly command oppression, From on high, they command;
They scoff, and in wickedness utter oppression; they speak as if there were none on high.
9 They have set, in the heavens, their mouth, And, their tongue, marcheth through the earth.
They have set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.
10 Therefore must his people return thither, And, the waters of abundance, are drained by them;
Therefore His people return hither; and waters of fullness are drained out by them.
11 And they say—How doth GOD know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?
And they say: 'How doth 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, such are the wicked; and they that are always at ease increase riches.
13 Altogether in vain, Have I cleansed my heart, And bathed in pureness, my hands;
Surely in vain have I cleansed my heart, and washed my hands in innocency;
14 And yet been smitten all the day, And been rebuked morning by morning!
For all the day have I been plagued, and my chastisement came 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 had been faithless to the generation of Thy children.
16 When I reasoned, that I might understand this, A vexation, it was in mine eyes:
And when I pondered how I might know this, it was wearisome in mine eyes;
17 Until I could enter the holy places of God, —Could give heed to their hereafter: —
Until I entered into the sanctuary of God, and considered their end.
18 Surely, in slippery places, dost thou set them, —Thou hast suffered them to fall into places of danger.
Surely Thou settest them in slippery places; Thou hurlest them down to utter ruin.
19 How have they become desolate, as in a moment! They have ceased—come to an end, by reason of calamities.
How are they become a desolation in a moment! They are wholly consumed by 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 when one awaketh, so, O Lord, when Thou arousest Thyself, Thou wilt despise their semblance.
21 But my heart had grown embittered, And, in my reins, had I received wounds;
For my heart was in a ferment, and I was pricked in my reins.
22 But, I, was brutish, and could not perceive, Like the beasts, had I become before thee.
But I was brutish, and ignorant; I was as 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 holdest my right hand.
24 By thy counsel, wilt thou guide me, And, afterwards, unto glory, wilt thou take me.
Thou wilt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me with glory.
25 Whom have I in the heavens? And, compared with thee, there is nothing I desire on earth.
Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And beside Thee I desire none upon earth.
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 faileth; but God is the rock of my heart and my portion for ever.
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, they that go far from Thee shall perish; Thou dost destroy all them that go astray 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 as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all Thy works.
