Psalm 73:17–24

17 till I entered the sanctuary of God;

then I understood their final destiny.

18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;

you cast them down to ruin.

19 How suddenly are they destroyed,

completely swept away by terrors!

20 They are like a dream when one awakes;

when you arise, Lord,

you will despise them as fantasies.

21 When my heart was grieved

and my spirit embittered,

22 I was senseless and ignorant;

I was a brute beast before you.

23 Yet I am always with you;

you hold me by my right hand.

24 You guide me with your counsel,

and afterward you will take me into glory.

17 until I went into the sanctuary of God;

then I discerned their end.

18 Truly you set them in slippery places;

you make them fall to ruin.

19 How they are destroyed in a moment,

swept away utterly by terrors!

20 Like a dream when one awakes,

O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.

21 When my soul was embittered,

when I was pricked in heart,

22 I was brutish and ignorant;

I was like a beast toward you.

23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you;

you hold my right hand.

24 You guide me with your counsel,

and afterward you will receive me to glory.

17 Then I went into your sanctuary, O God,

and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.

18 Truly, you put them on a slippery path

and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.

19 In an instant they are destroyed,

completely swept away by terrors.

20 When you arise, O Lord,

you will laugh at their silly ideas

as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.

21 Then I realized that my heart was bitter,

and I was all torn up inside.

22 I was so foolish and ignorant—

I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.

23 Yet I still belong to you;

you hold my right hand.

24 You guide me with your counsel,

leading me to a glorious destiny.

17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God;

Then I understood their end.

18 Surely You 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.

21 Thus my heart was grieved,

And I was vexed in my mind.

22 I 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 You will guide me with Your counsel,

And afterward receive me to glory.

17 until I went to the Temple of God.

Then I understood what will happen to them.

18 You have put them in danger;

you cause them to be destroyed.

19 They are destroyed in a moment;

they are swept away by terrors.

20 It will be like waking from a dream.

Lord, when you rise up, they will disappear.

21 When my heart was sad

and I was angry,

22 I was senseless and stupid.

I acted like an animal toward you.

23 But I am always with you;

you have held my hand.

24 You guide me with your advice,

and later you will receive me in honor.

17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God,

And considered their latter end.

18 Surely thou settest them in slippery places:

Thou castest them down to destruction.

19 How are they become a desolation in a moment!

They are utterly consumed with terrors.

20 As a dream when one awaketh,

So, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou wilt despise their image.

21 For my soul was grieved,

And I was pricked in my heart:

22 So brutish was I, and ignorant;

I was as a beast before thee.

23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee:

Thou hast holden my right hand.

24 Thou wilt guide me with thy counsel,

And afterward receive me to glory.

17 Until I went into the sanctuaries of •God; then understood I their end. 18 Truly thou settest them in slippery places, thou castest them down in ruins. 19 How are they suddenly made desolate! they pass away, consumed with terrors. 20 As a dream, when one awaketh, wilt thou, Lord, on arising despise their image.

21 When my heart was in a ferment, and I was pricked in my reins, 22 Then I was brutish and knew nothing; I was as a beast with thee. 23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden my right hand; 24 Thou wilt guide me by thy counsel, and after the glory, thou wilt receive me.

17 Only when I came into God’s holy place 

did I ⸤finally⸥ understand what would happen to them. 

18 You put them in slippery places 

and make them fall into ruin. 

19 They are suddenly destroyed. 

They are completely swept away by terror! 

20 As ⸤someone⸥ gets rid of a dream when he wakes up, 

so you, O Lord, get rid of the thought of them 

when you wake up. 

21 When my heart was filled with bitterness 

and my mind was seized ⸤with envy⸥, 

22 I was stupid, and I did not understand. 

I was like a dumb animal in your presence. 

23 Yet, I am always with you. 

You hold on to my right hand. 

24 With your advice you guide me, 

and in the end you will take me to glory. 

17 until I entered God’s sanctuary.

Then I understood their destiny.

18 Indeed, You put them in slippery places;

You make them fall into ruin.

19 How suddenly they become a desolation!

They come to an end, swept away by terrors.

20 Like one waking from a dream,

Lord, when arising, You will despise their image.

21 When I became embittered

and my innermost being was wounded,

22 I was stupid and didn’t understand;

I was an unthinking animal toward You.

23 Yet I am always with You;

You hold my right hand.

24 You guide me with Your counsel,

and afterward You will take me up in glory.

17 until I went into the sanctuary of God;

then I perceived their end.

18 Truly you set them in slippery places;

you make them fall to ruin.

19 How they are destroyed in a moment,

swept away utterly by terrors!

20 They are like a dream when one awakes;

on awaking you despise their phantoms.

21 When my soul was embittered,

when I was pricked in heart,

22 I was stupid and ignorant;

I was like a brute beast toward you.

23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you;

you hold my right hand.

24 You guide me with your counsel,

and afterward you will receive me with honor.

17 until I went into the sanctuary of God.

Then I understood their fate.

18 Surely you set them on slippery places.

You cause them to fall onto ruin.

19 How they become a desolation in a moment!

They come to a complete end by terrors.

20 Like a dream upon awakening,

when you wake up, O Lord,

you will despise their fleeting form.

21 When my heart was embittered

and I felt stabbed in my kidneys,

22 then I was brutish and ignorant.

With you I was like the beasts.

23 But I am continually with you;

you have hold of my right hand.

24 You will guide me with your advice,

and afterward you will take me into honor.

17 It troubled me until I entered God’s temple.

Then I understood what will happen to bad people in the end.

18 God, I’m sure you will make them slip and fall.

You will throw them down and destroy them.

19 It will happen very suddenly.

A terrible death will take them away completely.

20 A dream goes away when a person wakes up.

Lord, it will be like that when you rise up.

It will be as if those people were only a dream.

21 At one time my heart was sad

and my spirit was bitter.

22 I didn’t have any sense. I didn’t know anything.

I acted like a wild animal toward you.

23 But I am always with you.

You hold me by my right hand.

24 You give me wise advice to guide me.

And when I die, you will take me away

into the glory of heaven.

17 Until I came into the sanctuary of God;

Then I perceived their end.

18 Surely You set them in slippery places;

You cast them down to destruction.

19 How they are destroyed in a moment!

They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors!

20 Like a dream when one awakes,

O Lord, when aroused, You will despise their form.

21 When my heart was embittered

And I was pierced within,

22 Then I was senseless and ignorant;

I was like a beast before You.

23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;

You have taken hold of my right hand.

24 With Your counsel You will guide me,

And afterward receive me to glory.