Psalms 73
1 A Melody of Asaph. Nothing but good, is God, Unto Israel, Unto the pure in heart.
A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, to such as are of a pure heart.
2 But, as for me, —My feet had, almost stumbled, My steps had, well-nigh slipped;
But as for me, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped;
3 For I was envious of the boasters, At the prosperity of the lawless, used I to look.
For I was envious at the arrogant, seeing the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For they have no pangs in their death, And vigorous is their body;
For they have no pangs in their death, and their body is well nourished;
5 Of the toil of weak mortals, have they none, Nor, with the sons of earth, are they hard smitten.
They have not the hardships of mankind, neither are they plagued like [other] men:
6 For this cause, doth arrogance deck them as a neck-chain, And a garment of wrong is their attire;
Therefore pride encompasseth them as a neck-chain, violence covereth them [as] a garment;
7 Their iniquity, hath proceeded from fatness, They have surpassed the imaginations of the heart;
Their eyes stand out from fatness, they exceed the imaginations of their heart:
8 They mock, and wickedly command oppression, From on high, they command;
They mock and speak wickedly of oppression, they speak loftily:
9 They have set, in the heavens, their mouth, And, their tongue, marcheth through the earth.
They set their mouth in the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.
10 Therefore must his people return thither, And, the waters of abundance, are drained by them;
Therefore his people turn hither, and waters in fulness are wrung out to them.
11 And they say—How doth GOD know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?
And they say, How can God know, and is there knowledge in the Most High?
12 Lo! these, are the lawless, Who are secure for an age, They have attained unto wealth.
Behold, these are the wicked, and they prosper in the world: they heap up riches.
13 Altogether in vain, Have I cleansed my heart, And bathed in pureness, my hands;
Truly have I purified my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency:
14 And yet been smitten all the day, And been rebuked morning by morning!
For all the day have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
15 If I had thought, I will relate it thus, Lo! the circle of thy sons, had I betrayed.
If I said, I will speak thus, behold, I should be faithless to the generation of thy children.
16 When I reasoned, that I might understand this, A vexation, it was in mine eyes:
When I thought to be able to know this, it was a grievous task in mine eyes;
17 Until I could enter the holy places of God, —Could give heed to their hereafter: —
Until I went into the sanctuaries of God; [then] understood I their end.
18 Surely, in slippery places, dost thou set them, —Thou hast suffered them to fall into places of danger.
Truly thou settest them in slippery places, thou castest them down in ruins.
19 How have they become desolate, as in a moment! They have ceased—come to an end, by reason of calamities.
How are they suddenly made desolate! they pass away, consumed with terrors.
20 As the dream of him that waketh, O my Lord! when rousing thyself up, their shadowy being, wilt thou despise.
As a dream, when one awaketh, wilt thou, Lord, on arising despise their image.
21 But my heart had grown embittered, And, in my reins, had I received wounds;
When my heart was in a ferment, and I was pricked in my reins,
22 But, I, was brutish, and could not perceive, Like the beasts, had I become before thee.
Then I was brutish and knew nothing; I was [as] a beast with thee.
23 Nevertheless, I, am continually before thee, Thou hast taken hold of my right hand;
Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden my right hand;
24 By thy counsel, wilt thou guide me, And, afterwards, unto glory, wilt thou take me.
Thou wilt guide me by thy counsel, and after the glory, thou wilt receive me.
25 Whom have I in the heavens? And, compared with thee, there is nothing I desire on earth.
Whom have I in the heavens? and there is none upon earth I desire beside thee.
26 Failed have my flesh and my heart, The rock of my heart—and my portion, is God unto times age-abiding.
My flesh and my heart faileth: God is the rock of my heart and my portion for ever.
27 For lo! they who are far from thee, shall perish, Thou hast put an end to every one who wandered unchastely from thee.
For behold, they that are far from thee shall perish; thou destroyest every one that goeth a whoring from thee.
28 But, as for me, the drawing near of God, is my blessedness, —I have made, of My Lord Yahweh, my refuge, —That I may recount all thy works.
But as for me, it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord Jehovah, that I may declare all thy works.
