Psalm 73:title–28

The End of the Wicked Contrasted with That of the Righteous.

A Psalm of Asaph.

¹Surely God is ^agood to Israel,

To those who are ^bpure in heart!

²But as for me, ^amy feet came close to stumbling,

My steps ¹had almost slipped.

³For I was ^aenvious of the ¹arrogant

As I saw the ^bprosperity of the wicked.

⁴For there are no pains in their death,

And their ¹body is fat.

⁵They are ^anot ¹in trouble as other ²men,

Nor are they ^bplagued ³like mankind.

⁶Therefore pride is ^atheir necklace;

The ^bgarment of violence covers them.

⁷Their eye ¹bulges from ^afatness;

The imaginations of their heart ²run riot.

⁸They ^amock and ¹wickedly speak of oppression;

They ^bspeak from on high.

⁹They have ^aset their mouth ¹against the heavens,

And their tongue ²parades through the earth.

¹⁰Therefore ¹his people return to this place,

And waters of ^aabundance are ²drunk by them.

¹¹They say, “^aHow does God know?

And is there knowledge ¹with the Most High?”

¹²Behold, ^athese are the wicked;

And always ^bat ease, they have increased in wealth.

¹³Surely ^ain vain I have ¹kept my heart pure

And ^bwashed my hands in innocence;

¹⁴For I have been stricken ^aall day long

And ^1bchastened every morning.

¹⁵If I had said, “I will speak thus,”

Behold, I would have betrayed the ^ageneration of Your children.

¹⁶When I ^apondered to understand this,

It was ¹troublesome in my sight

¹⁷Until I came into the ^1asanctuary of God;

Then I perceived their ^bend.

¹⁸Surely You set them in ^aslippery places;

You cast them down to ^1bdestruction.

¹⁹How they are ^1adestroyed in a moment!

They are utterly swept away by ^bsudden terrors!

²⁰Like a ^adream when one awakes,

O Lord, when ^baroused, You will ^cdespise their ¹form.

²¹When my ^aheart was embittered

And I was ^bpierced ¹within,

²²Then I was ^asenseless and ignorant;

I was like ¹a ^bbeast ²before You.

²³Nevertheless ^aI am continually with You;

You have taken hold of my right hand.

²⁴With Your counsel You will ^aguide me,

And afterward ^breceive me ¹to glory.

^25aWhom have I in heaven but You?

And ¹besides You, I desire nothing on earth.

²⁶My ^aflesh and my heart may fail,

But God is the ¹strength of my heart and my ^bportion forever.

²⁷For, behold, ^athose who are far from You will ^bperish;

You have ¹destroyed all those who ^2care unfaithful to You.

²⁸But as for me, ^athe nearness of God is my good;

I have made the Lord ¹God my ^brefuge,

That I may ^ctell of all Your works.