Psalms 73
1 A Psalm of Asaph. Only — good to Israel [is] God, to the clean of heart. And I — as a little thing, My feet have been turned aside,
A Psalm. Of Asaph. Truly, God is good to Israel, even to such as are clean in heart.
2 As nothing, have my steps slipped, For I have been envious of the boastful,
But as for me, my feet had almost gone from under me; I was near to slipping;
3 The peace of the wicked I see, That there are no bands at their death,
Because of my envy of the men of pride, when I saw the well-being of the wrongdoers.
4 And their might [is] firm.
For they have no pain; their bodies are fat and strong.
5 In the misery of mortals they are not, And with common men they are not plagued.
They are not in trouble as others are; they have no part in the unhappy fate of men.
6 Therefore hath pride encircled them, Violence covereth them as a dress.
For this reason pride is round them like a chain; they are clothed with violent behaviour as with a robe.
7 Their eye hath come out from fat. The imaginations of the heart transgressed;
Their eyes are bursting with fat; they have more than their heart's desire.
8 They do corruptly, And they speak in the wickedness of oppression, From on high they speak.
Their thoughts are deep with evil designs; their talk from their seats of power is of cruel acts.
9 They have set in the heavens their mouth, And their tongue walketh in the earth.
Their mouth goes up to heaven; their tongues go walking through the earth.
10 Therefore do His people return hither, And waters of fulness are wrung out to them.
For this reason they are full of bread; and water is ever flowing for them.
11 And they have said, 'How hath God known? And is there knowledge in the Most High?'
And they say, How will the Lord see this? is there knowledge in the Most High?
12 Lo, these [are] the wicked and easy ones of the age, They have increased strength.
Truly, such are the sinners; they do well at all times, and their wealth is increased.
13 Only — a vain thing! I have purified my heart, And I wash in innocency my hands,
As for me, I have made my heart clean to no purpose, washing my hands in righteousness;
14 And I am plagued all the day, And my reproof [is] every morning.
For I have been troubled all the day; every morning have I undergone punishment.
15 If I have said, 'I recount thus,' Lo, a generation of Thy sons I have deceived.
If I would make clear what it is like, I would say, You are false to the generation of your children.
16 And I think to know this, Perverseness it [is] in mine eyes,
When my thoughts were turned to see the reason of this, it was a weariness in my eyes;
17 Till I come in to the sanctuaries of God, I attend to their latter end.
Till I went into God's holy place, and saw the end of the evil-doers.
18 Only, in slippery places Thou dost set them, Thou hast caused them to fall to desolations.
You put their feet where there was danger of slipping, so that they go down into destruction.
19 How have they become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended — consumed from terrors.
How suddenly are they wasted! fears are the cause of their destruction.
20 As a dream from awakening, O Lord, In awaking, their image Thou despisest.
As a dream when one is awake, they are ended; they are like an image gone out of mind when sleep is over.
21 For my heart doth show itself violent, And my reins prick themselves,
My heart was made bitter, and I was pained by the bite of grief:
22 And I am brutish, and do not know. A beast I have been with Thee.
As for me, I was foolish, and without knowledge; I was like a beast before you.
23 And I [am] continually with Thee, Thou hast laid hold on my right hand.
But still I am ever with you; you have taken me by my right hand.
24 With Thy counsel Thou dost lead me, And after honour dost receive me.
Your wisdom will be my guide, and later you will put me in a place of honour.
25 Whom have I in the heavens? And with Thee none I have desired in earth.
Whom have I in heaven but you? and having you I have no desire for anything on earth.
26 Consumed hath been my flesh and my heart, The rock of my heart and my portion [is] God to the age.
My flesh and my heart are wasting away: but God is the Rock of my heart and my eternal heritage.
27 For, lo, those far from Thee do perish, Thou hast cut off every one, Who is going a whoring from Thee.
For those who are far away from you will come to destruction: you will put an end to all those who have not kept faith with you.
28 And I — nearness of God to me [is] good, I have placed in the Lord Jehovah my refuge, To recount all Thy works!
But it is good for me to come near to God: I have put my faith in the Lord God, so that I may make clear all his works.
