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 for Asaph. How good is God to Israel, to the upright in heart!
2 As nothing, have my steps slipped, For I have been envious of the boastful,
But my feet were almost overthrown; my goings very nearly slipped.
3 The peace of the wicked I see, That there are no bands at their death,
For I was jealous of the transgressors, beholding the tranquility of sinners.
4 And their might [is] firm.
For there is no sign of reluctance in their death: and [they have] firmness under their affliction.
5 In the misery of mortals they are not, And with common men they are not plagued.
They are not in the troubles of [other] men; and they shall not be scourged with [other] men.
6 Therefore hath pride encircled them, Violence covereth them as a dress.
Therefore pride has possessed them; they have clothed themselves with their injustice and ungodliness.
7 Their eye hath come out from fat. The imaginations of the heart transgressed;
Their injustice shall go forth as out of fatness: they have fulfilled their intention.
8 They do corruptly, And they speak in the wickedness of oppression, From on high they speak.
They have taken counsel and spoken in wickedness: they have uttered unrighteousness loftily.
9 They have set in the heavens their mouth, And their tongue walketh in the earth.
They have set their mouth against heaven, and their tongue has gone through upon the earth.
10 Therefore do His people return hither, And waters of fulness are wrung out to them.
Therefore shall my people return hither: and full days shall be found with them.
11 And they have said, 'How hath God known? And is there knowledge in the Most High?'
And they said, How does God know? and is there knowledge in the Most High?
12 Lo, these [are] the wicked and easy ones of the age, They have increased strength.
Behold, these [are] the sinners, and they that prosper always: they have possessed wealth.
13 Only — a vain thing! I have purified my heart, And I wash in innocency my hands,
And I said, Verily in vain have I justified my heart, and washed my hands in innocency.
14 And I am plagued all the day, And my reproof [is] every morning.
For I was plagued all the day, and my reproof [was] every morning.
15 If I have said, 'I recount thus,' Lo, a generation of Thy sons I have deceived.
If I said, I will speak thus; behold, I [should] have broken covenant with the generation of thy children.
16 And I think to know this, Perverseness it [is] in mine eyes,
And I undertook to understand this, [but] it is too hard for me,
17 Till I come in to the sanctuaries of God, I attend to their latter end.
until I go into the sanctuary of God; [and so] understand the latter end.
18 Only, in slippery places Thou dost set them, Thou hast caused them to fall to desolations.
Surely thou hast appointed [judgments] to them because of their crafty dealings: thou hast cast them down when they were lifted up.
19 How have they become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended — consumed from terrors.
How have they become desolate! suddenly they have failed: they have perished because of their iniquity.
20 As a dream from awakening, O Lord, In awaking, their image Thou despisest.
As the dream of one awakening, O Lord, in thy city thou wilt despise their image.
21 For my heart doth show itself violent, And my reins prick themselves,
For my heart has rejoiced, and my reins have been gladdened.
22 And I am brutish, and do not know. A beast I have been with Thee.
But I [was] vile and knew not: I became brutish before thee.
23 And I [am] continually with Thee, Thou hast laid hold on my right hand.
Yet I am continually with thee: thou hast holden my right hand.
24 With Thy counsel Thou dost lead me, And after honour dost receive me.
Thou hast guided me by thy counsel, and thou hast taken me to thyself with glory.
25 Whom have I in the heavens? And with Thee none I have desired in earth.
For what have I in heaven [but thee]? and what have I desired upon the earth beside thee?
26 Consumed hath been my flesh and my heart, The rock of my heart and my portion [is] God to the age.
My heart and my flesh have failed: [but] God [is the strength] of my heart, and God is my portion for ever.
27 For, lo, those far from Thee do perish, Thou hast cut off every one, Who is going a whoring from Thee.
For, behold, they that remove themselves far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed every one that goes a whoring from thee.
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 cleave close to God, to put my trust in the Lord; that I may proclaim all thy praises in the gates of the daughter of Sion.
