Psalm 73
Book Three: Psalms 73–89
Psalm 73
The Tragedy of the Wicked, and the Blessedness of Trust in God
A Psalm of aAsaph.
1 Truly God is good to Israel,
To such as are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
My steps had nearly bslipped.
3 cFor I was envious of the boastful,
When I saw the prosperity of the dwicked.
4 For there are no 1pangs in their death,
But their strength is firm.
5 eThey are not in trouble as other men,
Nor are they plagued like other men.
6 Therefore pride serves as their necklace;
Violence covers them flike a garment.
7 gTheir 2eyes bulge with abundance;
They have more than heart could wish.
8 hThey scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;
9 They set their mouth jagainst the heavens,
And their tongue walks through the earth.
10 Therefore his people return here,
kAnd waters of a full cup are drained by them.
11 And they say, l“How does God know?
And is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12 Behold, these are the ungodly,
Who are always at ease;
They increase in riches.
13 Surely I have 4cleansed my heart in mvain,
And washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all day long I have been plagued,
And chastened every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.
16 When I thought how to understand this,
It was 5too painful for me—
17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their nend.
18 Surely oYou set them in slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
19 Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment!
They are utterly consumed with terrors.
20 As a dream when one awakes,
So, Lord, when You awake,
You shall despise their image.
And I was 6vexed in my mind.
22 pI was so foolish and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
24 qYou will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.
25 rWhom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
26 sMy flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the 7strength of my heart and my tportion forever.
27 For indeed, uthose who are far from You shall perish;
You have destroyed all those who 8desert You for harlotry.
28 But it is good for me to vdraw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may wdeclare all Your works.
Psalm 77–78
The Consoling Memory of God’s Redemptive Works
To the Chief Musician. aTo Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.
1 I cried out to God with my voice—To God with my voice;
And He gave ear to me.
2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing;
My soul refused to be comforted.
3 I remembered God, and was troubled;
I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed.
Selah
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I have considered the days of old,
The years of ancient times.
6 I call to remembrance my song in the night;
I meditate within my heart,
And my spirit 1makes diligent search.
7 Will the Lord cast off forever?
And will He be favorable no more?
8 Has His mercy ceased forever?
Has His bpromise failed 2forevermore?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies?
Selah
10 And I said, “This is my 3anguish;
But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
11 I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is in 4the csanctuary;
Who is so great a God as our God?
14 You are the God who does wonders;
You have declared Your strength among the peoples.
15 You have with Your arm redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph.
Selah
The waters saw You, they were dafraid;
The depths also trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
The skies sent out a sound;
Your arrows also flashed about.
18 The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook.
Your path in the great waters,
And Your footsteps were not known.
20 You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.
God’s Kindness to Rebellious Israel
1 Give ear, O my people, to my law;
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a bparable;
I will utter 2dark sayings of old,
3 Which we have heard and known,
And our fathers have told us.
4 cWe will not hide them from their children,
dTelling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord,
And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.
5 For eHe established a testimony in Jacob,
And appointed a law in Israel,
Which He commanded our fathers,
That fthey should make them known to their children;
6 gThat the generation to come might know them,
The children who would be born,
That they may arise and declare them to their children,
7 That they may set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments;
8 And hmay not be like their fathers,
iA stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation jthat did not 3set its heart aright,
And whose spirit was not faithful to God.
9 The children of Ephraim, being armed and 4carrying bows,
Turned back in the day of battle.
10 kThey did not keep the covenant of God;
They refused to walk in His law,
11 And lforgot His works
And His wonders that He had shown them.
12 mMarvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers,
In the land of Egypt, nin the field of Zoan.
13 oHe divided the sea and caused them to pass through;
And pHe made the waters stand up like a heap.
14 qIn the daytime also He led them with the cloud,
And all the night with a light of fire.
15 rHe split the rocks in the wilderness,
And gave them drink in abundance like the depths.
16 He also brought sstreams out of the rock,
And caused waters to run down like rivers.
17 But they sinned even more against Him
By trebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.
18 And uthey tested God in their heart
By asking for the food of their fancy.
19 vYes, they spoke against God:
They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
20 wBehold, He struck the rock,
So that the waters gushed out,
And the streams overflowed.
Can He give bread also?
Can He provide meat for His people?”
21 Therefore the Lord heard this and xwas furious;
So a fire was kindled against Jacob,
And anger also came up against Israel,
22 Because they ydid not believe in God,
And did not trust in His salvation.
23 Yet He had commanded the clouds above,
zAnd opened the doors of heaven,
24 aHad rained down manna on them to eat,
And given them of the 5bread of bheaven.
He sent them food to 6the full.
26 cHe caused an east wind to blow in the heavens;
And by His power He brought in the south wind.
27 He also rained meat on them like the dust,
Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas;
28 And He let them fall in the midst of their camp,
All around their dwellings.
29 dSo they ate and were well filled,
For He gave them their own desire.
30 They were not 7deprived of their craving;
But ewhile their food was still in their mouths,
31 The wrath of God came against them,
And slew the stoutest of them,
And struck down the choice men of Israel.
32 In spite of this fthey still sinned,
And gdid not believe in His wondrous works.
33 hTherefore their days He consumed in futility,
And their years in fear.
34 iWhen He slew them, then they sought Him;
And they returned and …