Psalms 73
73
BOOK III
(Psalms 73–89)
Psalm 73
A psalm of Asaph.
1Truly God is good to Israel,
to those who are have a pure heart.
2But me? My feet had almost stumbled;
my steps had nearly slipped
3because I envied the arrogant;
I observed how the wicked are well off:
4They suffer no pain;
their bodies are fit and strong.
5They are never in trouble;
they aren’t weighed down like other people.
6That’s why they wear arrogance like a necklace,
why violence covers them like clothes.
7Their eyes bulge out from eating so well;
their hearts overflow with delusions.
8They scoff and talk so cruel;
from their privileged positions
they plan oppression.
9Their mouths dare to speak against heaven!
Their tongues roam the earth!
10That’s why people keep going back to them,
keep approving what they say.#73.10 Heb uncertain
11And what they say is this: “How could God possibly know!
Does the Most High know anything at all!”
12Look at these wicked ones,
always relaxed, piling up the wealth!
13Meanwhile, I’ve kept my heart pure for no good reason;
I’ve washed my hands to stay innocent for nothing.
14I’m weighed down all day long.
I’m punished every morning.
15If I said, “I will talk about all this,”
I would have been unfaithful to your children.
16But when I tried to understand these things,
it just seemed like hard work
17until I entered God’s sanctuary
and understood what would happen to the wicked.
18You will definitely put them on a slippery path;
you will make them fall into ruin!
19How quickly they are devastated,
utterly destroyed by terrors!
20As quickly as a dream departs from someone waking up, my Lord,
when you are stirred up, you make them disappear.#73.20 Heb uncertain
21When my heart was bitter,
when I was all cut up inside,
22I was stupid and ignorant.
I acted like nothing but an animal toward you.
23But I was still always with you!
You held my strong hand!
24You have guided me with your advice;
later you will receive me with glory.
25Do I have anyone else in heaven?
There’s nothing on earth I desire except you.
26My body and my heart fail,
but God is my heart’s rock and my share forever.
27Look! Those far from you die;
you annihilate all those who are unfaithful to you.
28But me? It’s good for me to be near God.
I have taken my refuge in you, my LORD God,
so I can talk all about your works!
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Psalm 73
73
Book Three
God Is My Strength and Portion Forever
A Psalm of #See Ps. 50, titleAsaph.
1Truly God is good to #John 1:47 Israel,
to those who are #See Ps. 24:4pure in heart.
2But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
my steps had nearly slipped.
3 # See Job 21:7 For I was #Ps. 37:1; Prov. 23:17 envious of the arrogant
when I saw the #[Ps. 37:7; 92:7; Jer. 12:1]prosperity of the wicked.
4For they have no pangs until death;
their bodies are fat and sleek.
5They are not in trouble as others are;
they are not #[Isa. 53:4]stricken like the rest of mankind.
6Therefore pride is #[Judg. 8:26] their necklace;
violence covers them as #[Ps. 109:18]a garment.
7Their #See Job 15:27eyes swell out through fatness;
their hearts overflow with follies.
8They scoff and #[2 Pet. 2:18; Jude 16]speak with malice;
loftily they threaten oppression.
9They set their mouths against the heavens,
and their tongue struts through the earth.
10Therefore his people turn back to them,
and find #[Job 15:16]no fault in them.#73:10 Probable reading; Hebrew the waters of a full cup are drained by them
11And they say, #See Job 22:13“How can God know?
Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12Behold, these are the wicked;
always at ease, they #[ver. 3]increase in riches.
13All in vain have I #[ver. 1]; See Job 34:9 kept my heart clean
and #See Ps. 26:6washed my hands in innocence.
14For all the day long I have been #[See ver. 5 above] stricken
and #Rev. 3:19 rebuked #[Ps. 101:8]every morning.
15If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
I would have betrayed #[Ps. 14:5]the generation of your children.
16But when I thought how to understand this,
it seemed to me #Eccles. 8:17a wearisome task,
17until I went into #Ps. 20:2 the sanctuary of God;
then I discerned their #Ps. 37:38end.
18Truly you set them in #Ps. 35:6slippery places;
you make them fall to ruin.
19How they are destroyed #[Num. 16:21] in a moment,
swept away utterly by #See Job 18:11terrors!
20Like #See Job 20:8 a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when #Ps. 78:65you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.
21When my soul was embittered,
when I was pricked in heart,
22I was #See Ps. 49:10 brutish and ignorant;
I was like #Job 18:3; [Job 11:12]a beast toward you.
23Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you #Ps. 63:8; [Ps. 41:12]hold my right hand.
24You #Ps. 32:8 guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will #See Ps. 49:15receive me to glory.
25 #
Ps. 16:2; [Phil. 3:8] Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
26 #
Ps. 40:12; See Ps. 84:2 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is #Ps. 18:2 the strength#73:26 Hebrew rock of my heart and my #See Ps. 16:5 portion #[Dan. 12:3]forever.
27For behold, those who are #Ps. 119:155 far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is #Ps. 106:39; Ex. 34:15; Num. 15:39; James 4:4unfaithful to you.
28But for me it is good to #James 4:8; [Heb. 10:22] be near God;
I have made the Lord God my #See Ps. 14:6 refuge,
that I may #See Ps. 118:17tell of all your works.
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