Psalm 73

Psalm 73

Plea for Relief from Oppressors

A Psalm of Asaph.

¹Truly God is good to Israel,

to those who are pure in heart.^*

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

my steps had nearly slipped.^*

³For I was envious of the arrogant;

I saw the prosperity of the wicked.^*

⁴For they have no pain;

their bodies are sound and sleek.

⁵They are not in trouble as others are;

they are not plagued like other people.^*

⁶Therefore pride is their necklace;

violence covers them like a garment.^*

⁷Their eyes swell out with fatness;

their hearts overflow with follies.^*

⁸They scoff and speak with malice;

loftily they threaten oppression.^*

⁹They set their mouths against heaven,

and their tongues range over the earth.

¹⁰Therefore the people turn and praise them^u

and find no fault in them.^v

¹¹And they say, “How can God know?

Is there knowledge in the Most High?”^*

¹²Such are the wicked;

always at ease, they increase in riches.^*

¹³All in vain I have kept my heart clean

and washed my hands in innocence.^*

¹⁴For all day long I have been plagued

and am punished every morning.^*

¹⁵If I had said, “I will talk on in this way,”

I would have been untrue to the circle of your children.

¹⁶But when I thought how to understand this,

it seemed to me a wearisome task,^*

¹⁷until I went into the sanctuary of God;

then I perceived their end.^*

¹⁸Truly you set them in slippery places;

you make them fall to ruin.^*

¹⁹How they are destroyed in a moment,

swept away utterly by terrors!^*

²⁰They are^w like a dream when one awakes;

on awaking you despise their phantoms.^*

²¹When my soul was embittered,

when I was pricked in heart,

²²I was stupid and ignorant;

I was like a brute beast toward you.^*

²³Nevertheless, I am continually with you;

you hold my right hand.

²⁴You guide me with your counsel,

and afterward you will receive me with honor.^x*

²⁵Whom have I in heaven but you?

And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you.^*

²⁶My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength^y of my heart and my portion forever.^*

²⁷Indeed, those who are far from you will perish;

you put an end to those who are false to you.^*

²⁸But for me it is good to be near God;

I have made the Lord God my refuge,

to tell of all your works.^*