Psalm 73

Book Three: Psalms 73–89

Psalm 73

A Psalm of Asaph.

¹Truly God is good to Israel,

To such as are pure in heart.

²But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;

My steps had nearly ^bslipped.

^3cFor I was envious of the boastful,

When I saw the prosperity of the ^dwicked.

⁴For there are no ¹pangs in their death,

But their strength is firm.

^5eThey are not in trouble as other men,

Nor are they plagued like other men.

⁶Therefore pride serves as their necklace;

Violence covers them ^flike a garment.

^7gTheir ²eyes bulge with abundance;

They have more than heart could wish.

^8hThey scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;

They ⁱspeak ³loftily.

⁹They set their mouth ^jagainst the heavens,

And their tongue walks through the earth.

¹⁰Therefore his people return here,

^kAnd waters of a full cup are drained by them.

¹¹And they say, ^l“How does God know?

And is there knowledge in the Most High?”

¹²Behold, these are the ungodly,

Who are always at ease;

They increase in riches.

¹³Surely I have ⁴cleansed my heart in ^mvain,

And washed my hands in innocence.

¹⁴For all day long I have been plagued,

And chastened every morning.

¹⁵If I had said, “I will speak thus,”

Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.

¹⁶When I thought how to understand this,

It was ⁵too painful for me—

¹⁷Until I went into the sanctuary of God;

Then I understood their ⁿend.

¹⁸Surely ^oYou set them in slippery places;

You cast them down to destruction.

¹⁹Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment!

They are utterly consumed with terrors.

²⁰As a dream when one awakes,

So, Lord, when You awake,

You shall despise their image.

²¹Thus my heart was grieved,

And I was ⁶vexed in my mind.

^22pI was so foolish and ignorant;

I was like a beast before You.

²³Nevertheless I am continually with You;

You hold me by my right hand.

^24qYou will guide me with Your counsel,

And afterward receive me to glory.

^25rWhom have I in heaven but You?

And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.

^26sMy flesh and my heart fail;

But God is the ⁷strength of my heart and my ^tportion forever.

²⁷For indeed, ^uthose who are far from You shall perish;

You have destroyed all those who ⁸desert You for harlotry.

²⁸But 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.