Psalms 73
1 A Melody of Asaph. Nothing but good, is God, Unto Israel, Unto the pure in heart.
[A Psalm by Asaph.] Surely God is good to Israel, to those who 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 nearly 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 struggles 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 free from burdens of men, neither 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 like a chain around their neck. Violence covers them like a garment.
7 Their iniquity, hath proceeded from fatness, They have surpassed the imaginations of the heart;
Their sin proceeds forth from fatness. Their hearts overflow with imaginations.
8 They mock, and wickedly command oppression, From on high, they command;
They scoff and speak with malice. In arrogance, they threaten oppression.
9 They have set, in the heavens, their mouth, And, their tongue, marcheth through the earth.
They have set their mouth in the heavens. 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 turn to them, and they drink up waters of abundance.
11 And they say—How doth GOD know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?
They say, "How does God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?"
12 Lo! these, are the lawless, Who are secure for an age, They have attained unto wealth.
Look, these are the wicked. Being always at ease, they increase in riches.
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 day long have I been plagued, and punished 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;" look, I would have betrayed the generation of your children.
16 When I reasoned, that I might understand this, A vexation, it was in mine eyes:
When I tried to 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 entered God's sanctuary, 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 you set them in slippery places. You throw 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 are suddenly destroyed. They are completely swept away 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 when one wakes up, so, YHWH, when you awake, you will despise their fantasies.
21 But my heart had grown embittered, And, in my reins, had I received wounds;
For my soul was grieved. I was embittered in my heart.
22 But, I, was brutish, and could not perceive, Like the beasts, had I become before thee.
I was so senseless and ignorant. I was a brute beast before you.
23 Nevertheless, I, am continually before thee, Thou hast taken hold of my right hand;
Nevertheless, I am continually with you. You have held my right hand.
24 By thy counsel, wilt thou guide me, And, afterwards, unto glory, wilt thou take me.
You will guide me with your 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.
Who do I have in heaven? There is no one on earth who I desire besides you.
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, look, those who are far from you shall perish. You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to you.
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 come close to God. I have made YHWH my refuge, that I may tell of all your works in the gates of the daughter of Zion.
