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,
Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.
2 As nothing, have my steps slipped, For I have been envious of the boastful,
But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
3 The peace of the wicked I see, That there are no bands at their death,
For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 And their might [is] firm.
For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.
5 In the misery of mortals they are not, And with common men they are not plagued.
They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.
6 Therefore hath pride encircled them, Violence covereth them as a dress.
Therefore pride compasses them about as a chain; violence covers them as a garment.
7 Their eye hath come out from fat. The imaginations of the heart transgressed;
Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.
8 They do corruptly, And they speak in the wickedness of oppression, From on high they speak.
They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.
9 They have set in the heavens their mouth, And their tongue walketh in the earth.
They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walks through the earth.
10 Therefore do His people return hither, And waters of fulness are wrung out to them.
Therefore his people return here: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.
11 And they have said, 'How hath God known? And is there knowledge in the Most High?'
And they say, 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 ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.
13 Only — a vain thing! I have purified my heart, And I wash in innocency my hands,
Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence.
14 And I am plagued all the day, And my reproof [is] every morning.
For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
15 If I have said, 'I recount thus,' Lo, a generation of Thy sons I have deceived.
If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of your children.
16 And I think to know this, Perverseness it [is] in mine eyes,
When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
17 Till I come in to the sanctuaries of God, I attend to their latter end.
Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.
18 Only, in slippery places Thou dost set them, Thou hast caused them to fall to desolations.
Surely you did set them in slippery places: you casted them down into destruction.
19 How have they become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended — consumed from terrors.
How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.
20 As a dream from awakening, O Lord, In awaking, their image Thou despisest.
As a dream when one awakes; so, O Lord, when you awake, you shall despise their image.
21 For my heart doth show itself violent, And my reins prick themselves,
Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.
22 And I am brutish, and do not know. A beast I have been with Thee.
So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before you.
23 And I [am] continually with Thee, Thou hast laid hold on my right hand.
Nevertheless I am continually with you: you have held me by my right hand.
24 With Thy counsel Thou dost lead me, And after honour dost receive me.
You shall guide me with your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in the heavens? And with Thee none I have desired in earth.
Whom have I in heaven but you? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside you.
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 fails: but God is the strength of my heart, and 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, lo, they that are far from you shall perish: you have destroyed all them that go a whoring from 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 draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all your works.
