Psalms 73
1 A psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those with a pure heart.
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,
2 But as for me, my feet almost slipped; my feet almost slipped out from under me
As nothing, my steps have slipped, For I have been envious of the boastful,
3 because I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
I see the peace of the wicked, That there are no bands at their death,
4 For they have no pain until their death, but they are strong and well fed.
And their might [is] firm.
5 They are free from the burdens of other men; they are not afflicted like other men.
They are not in the misery of mortals, And they are not plagued with common men.
6 Pride adorns them like a necklace around their neck; violence clothes them like a robe.
Therefore pride has encircled them, Violence covers them as a dress.
7 Out of such blindness comes sin; evil thoughts pass through their hearts.
Their eye has come out from fat. The imaginations of the heart transgressed;
8 They mock and speak wickedly; in their arrogance they threaten oppression.
They do corruptly, And they speak in the wickedness of oppression, They speak from on high.
9 They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongues march through the earth.
They have set their mouth in the heavens, And their tongue walks in the earth.
10 Therefore his people turn to them and abundant waters are drained out.
Therefore His people return here, And waters of fullness are wrung out to them.
11 They say, “How does God know? Is there knowledge with the Most High?”
And they have said, “How has God known? And is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12 Take notice: these people are wicked; they are always carefree, becoming richer and richer.
Behold, these [are] the wicked and easy ones of the age, They have increased strength.
13 Surely it is in vain that I have guarded my heart and washed my hands in innocence.
Only—a vain thing! I have purified my heart, And I wash my hands in innocence,
14 For all the day long I have been afflicted and disciplined every morning.
And I am plagued all the day, And my reproof—every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will say these things,” then I would have betrayed this generation of your children.
If I have said, “I recount thus,” Behold, I have deceived a generation of Your sons.
16 Though I tried to understand these things, it was too difficult for me.
And I think to know this, It [is] perverseness in my eyes,
17 Then I went into God's sanctuary and came to understand their fate.
Until I come into the sanctuaries of God, I attend to their latter end.
18 Surely you put them in slippery places; you bring them down to ruin.
Surely You set them in slippery places, You have caused them to fall to desolations.
19 How they become a wilderness in a moment! They come to an end and are finished in awful terrors.
How they have become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended—consumed from terrors.
20 They are like a dream after one wakes up; Lord, when you arise, you will think nothing of those dreams.
As a dream from awakening, O Lord, In awaking, You despise their image.
21 For my heart was grieved, and I was deeply wounded.
For my heart shows itself violent, And my reins prick themselves,
22 I was ignorant and lacked insight; I was like a senseless animal before you.
And I am brutish, and do not know. I have been a beast with You.
23 Yet I am always with you; you hold my right hand.
And I [am] continually with You, You have laid hold on my right hand.
24 You will guide me with your advice and afterward receive me to glory.
You lead me with Your counsel, And after, receive me [to] glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? There is no one on earth that I desire but you.
Whom do I have in the heavens? And none have I desired in earth [besides] You.
26 My flesh and my heart grow weak, but God is the strength of my heart forever.
My flesh and my heart have been consumed, God [is] the rock of my heart and my portion for all time.
27 Those who are far from you will perish; you will destroy all those who are unfaithful to you.
For behold, those far from You perish, You have cut off everyone, Who is going whoring from You.
28 But as for me, all I need to do is to approach God. I have made the Lord Yahweh my refuge. I will declare all your deeds.
And [the] nearness of God to me [is] good, I have placed my refuge in Lord YHWH, To recount all Your works!
