Psalms 73
1 A Psalm by Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
A PSALM OF ASAPH. Surely God [is] good to Israel, to the clean of heart. And I—as a little thing, My feet have been turned aside,
2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone. My steps had nearly slipped.
As nothing, my steps have slipped, For I have been envious of the boastful,
3 For I was envious of the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
I see the peace of the wicked, That there are no bands at their death,
4 For there are no struggles in their death, but their strength is firm.
And their might [is] firm.
5 They are free from burdens of men, neither are they plagued like other men.
They are not in the misery of mortals, And they are not plagued with common men.
6 Therefore pride is like a chain around their neck. Violence covers them like a garment.
Therefore pride has encircled them, Violence covers them as a dress.
7 Their eyes bulge with fat. Their minds pass the limits of conceit.
Their eye has come out from fat. The imaginations of the heart transgressed;
8 They scoff and speak with malice. In arrogance, they threaten oppression.
They do corruptly, And they speak in the wickedness of oppression, They speak from on high.
9 They have set their mouth in the heavens. Their tongue walks through the earth.
They have set their mouth in the heavens, And their tongue walks in the earth.
10 Therefore their people return to them, and they drink up waters of abundance.
Therefore His people return here, And waters of fullness are wrung out to them.
11 They say, “How does God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
And they have said, “How has God known? And is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12 Behold, these are the wicked. Being always at ease, they increase in riches.
Behold, these [are] the wicked and easy ones of the age, They have increased strength.
13 Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence,
Only—a vain thing! I have purified my heart, And I wash my hands in innocence,
14 For all day long I have been plagued, and punished every morning.
And I am plagued all the day, And my reproof—every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus”, behold, I would have betrayed the generation of your children.
If I have said, “I recount thus,” Behold, I have deceived a generation of Your sons.
16 When I tried to understand this, it was too painful for me—
And I think to know this, It [is] perverseness in my eyes,
17 until I entered God’s sanctuary, and considered their latter end.
Until I come into the sanctuaries of God, I attend to their latter end.
18 Surely you set them in slippery places. You throw them down to destruction.
Surely You set them in slippery places, You have caused them to fall to desolations.
19 How they are suddenly destroyed! They are completely swept away with terrors.
How they have become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended—consumed from terrors.
20 As a dream when one wakes up, so, Lord, when you awake, you will despise their fantasies.
As a dream from awakening, O Lord, In awaking, You despise their image.
21 For my soul was grieved. I was embittered in my heart.
For my heart shows itself violent, And my reins prick themselves,
22 I was so senseless and ignorant. I was a brute beast before you.
And I am brutish, and do not know. I have been a beast with You.
23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you. You have held my right hand.
And I [am] continually with You, You have laid hold on my right hand.
24 You will guide me with your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
You lead me with Your counsel, And after, receive me [to] glory.
25 Whom do I have in heaven? There is no one on earth whom I desire besides you.
Whom do I have in the heavens? And none have I desired in earth [besides] You.
26 My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
My flesh and my heart have been consumed, God [is] the rock of my heart and my portion for all time.
27 For, behold, those who are far from you shall perish. You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to you.
For behold, those far from You perish, You have cut off everyone, Who is going whoring from You.
28 But it is good for me to come close to God. I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.
And [the] nearness of God to me [is] good, I have placed my refuge in Lord YHWH, To recount all Your works!
