Psalms 73

1 A Melody of Asaph. Nothing but good, is God, Unto Israel, Unto the 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 had, almost stumbled, My steps had, well-nigh slipped;

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

3 For I was envious of the boasters, At the prosperity of the lawless, used I to look.

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

4 For they have no pangs in their death, And vigorous is their body;

And their might [is] firm.

5 Of the toil of weak mortals, have they none, Nor, with the sons of earth, are they hard smitten.

They are not in the misery of mortals, And they are not plagued with common men.

6 For this cause, doth arrogance deck them as a neck-chain, And a garment of wrong is their attire;

Therefore pride has encircled them, Violence covers them as a dress.

7 Their iniquity, hath proceeded from fatness, They have surpassed the imaginations of the heart;

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

8 They mock, and wickedly command oppression, From on high, they command;

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

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

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

10 Therefore must his people return thither, And, the waters of abundance, are drained by them;

Therefore His people return here, And waters of fullness are wrung out to them.

11 And they say—How doth GOD know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?

And they have said, “How has God known? 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 easy ones of the age, They have increased strength.

13 Altogether in vain, Have I cleansed my heart, And bathed in pureness, my hands;

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

14 And yet been smitten all the day, And been rebuked morning by morning!

And I am plagued all the day, And my reproof—every morning.

15 If I had thought, I will relate it thus, Lo! the circle of thy sons, had I betrayed.

If I have said, “I recount thus,” Behold, I have deceived a generation of Your sons.

16 When I reasoned, that I might understand this, A vexation, it was in mine eyes:

And I think to know this, It [is] perverseness in my eyes,

17 Until I could enter the holy places of God, —Could give heed to their hereafter: —

Until I come into the sanctuaries of God, I attend to their latter end.

18 Surely, in slippery places, dost thou set them, —Thou hast suffered them to fall into places of danger.

Surely You set them in slippery places, You have caused them to fall to desolations.

19 How have they become desolate, as in a moment! They have ceased—come to an end, by reason of calamities.

How they have become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended—consumed from 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 from awakening, O Lord, In awaking, You despise their image.

21 But my heart had grown embittered, And, in my reins, had I received wounds;

For my heart shows itself violent, And my reins prick themselves,

22 But, I, was brutish, and could not perceive, Like the beasts, had I become before thee.

And I am brutish, and do not know. I have been a beast with You.

23 Nevertheless, I, am continually before thee, Thou hast taken hold of my right hand;

And I [am] continually with You, You have laid hold on my right hand.

24 By thy counsel, wilt thou guide me, And, afterwards, unto glory, wilt thou take me.

You lead me with Your counsel, And after, receive me [to] glory.

25 Whom have I in the heavens? And, compared with thee, there is nothing I desire on earth.

Whom do I have in the heavens? And none have I desired in earth [besides] You.

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 have been consumed, God [is] the rock of my heart and my portion for all time.

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, those far from You perish, You have cut off everyone, Who is going whoring from You.

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.

And [the] nearness of God to me [is] good, I have placed my refuge in Lord YHWH, To recount all Your works!