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,

God truly is good to [us] Israeli people, to those who totally want to do all that God desires.

2 As nothing, have my steps slipped, For I have been envious of the boastful,

As for me, I almost [stopped trusting in God]; [it was as though] my feet slipped and I stumbled [MET],

3 The peace of the wicked I see, That there are no bands at their death,

because I envied those who proudly [said that they did not need God], and I saw that they prospered [even though] they were wicked.

4 And their might [is] firm.

Those people do not have any pains; they are [always] strong and healthy.

5 In the misery of mortals they are not, And with common men they are not plagued.

They do not have the troubles/difficulties that other people have; they do not have problems like others do.

6 Therefore hath pride encircled them, Violence covereth them as a dress.

So they are proud, and their being proud is [like] a necklace [that they show to others], and they show off their violent actions like people show off their beautiful robes.

7 Their eye hath come out from fat. The imaginations of the heart transgressed;

From their inner beings they (pour out/do) evil deeds, and they are always thinking about more evil things to do.

8 They do corruptly, And they speak in the wickedness of oppression, From on high they speak.

They scoff at [other people], and they talk about doing evil things to them; they are proud while they plan to oppress others.

9 They have set in the heavens their mouth, And their tongue walketh in the earth.

They say evil things about [God who is in] heaven [MTY], and they talk boastfully/proudly about things [that they have done] here on the earth.

10 Therefore do His people return hither, And waters of fulness are wrung out to them.

The result is that people listen to what they say and praise them and do not think that they have done anything that is wrong.

11 And they have said, 'How hath God known? And is there knowledge in the Most High?'

Wicked people say [to themselves], “God will certainly not [RHQ] know [what we have done]; [people say that] he is greater than any other god, but he does not know [everything].”

12 Lo, these [are] the wicked and easy ones of the age, They have increased strength.

That is what wicked people are like; they never worry about anything, and they are always becoming richer.

13 Only — a vain thing! I have purified my heart, And I wash in innocency my hands,

[So, God], I think it is useless that I have [RHQ] always done what you want me to, and that I have not sinned.

14 And I am plagued all the day, And my reproof [is] every morning.

All day long I have problems, and every morning you punish me.

15 If I have said, 'I recount thus,' Lo, a generation of Thy sons I have deceived.

If I had said the things that the wicked people say, I would have been sinning against your people.

16 And I think to know this, Perverseness it [is] in mine eyes,

And when I tried to think about all this, it was very difficult for me [to understand it].

17 Till I come in to the sanctuaries of God, I attend to their latter end.

But when I went to your temple, [you spoke to me], and I understood what will happen to the wicked people [after they die].

18 Only, in slippery places Thou dost set them, Thou hast caused them to fall to desolations.

[Now I know that] you will surely put them in slippery places, and they will fall down and die.

19 How have they become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended — consumed from terrors.

They will be destroyed instantly; they will die in terrible ways.

20 As a dream from awakening, O Lord, In awaking, their image Thou despisest.

They [will disappear as quickly] as a dream disappears when a person awakes in the morning; Lord, when you arise, you will (cause them to disappear/forget all about them).

21 For my heart doth show itself violent, And my reins prick themselves,

When I felt sad/bitter, and brokenhearted,

22 And I am brutish, and do not know. A beast I have been with Thee.

I was stupid and ignorant, and I behaved like an animal toward you.

23 And I [am] continually with Thee, Thou hast laid hold on my right hand.

But I am always close to you, and you hold my hand.

24 With Thy counsel Thou dost lead me, And after honour dost receive me.

You guide me by teaching me, and (at the end [of my life]/when I die), you will receive me and honor me.

25 Whom have I in the heavens? And with Thee none I have desired in earth.

You are in heaven and I belong to you [RHQ], and there is nothing on this earth that I desire more than that.

26 Consumed hath been my flesh and my heart, The rock of my heart and my portion [is] God to the age.

My body and my mind may become very weak, but God, you continue to enable me to be strong; I belong to you forever.

27 For, lo, those far from Thee do perish, Thou hast cut off every one, Who is going a whoring from Thee.

Those who remain far from you will be destroyed; you will get rid of those who abandon 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 [as for] me, it is wonderful to be near to God and to be protected by Yahweh, and to proclaim to others all that he has done [for me].