Psalm 73
73
Book III
The Fate of the Wicked
A Psalm of Asaph.
1Truly God is good to Israel,
even to such as are of a clean heart.
2But as for me, my feet were almost gone;
my steps had well-nigh slipped.
3For I was envious at the foolish,
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4For there are no bands in their death:
but their strength is firm.
5They are not in trouble as other men;
neither are they plagued like other men.
6Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain;
violence covereth them as a garment.
7Their eyes stand out with fatness:
they have more than heart could wish.
8They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression:
they speak loftily.
9They set their mouth against the heavens,
and their tongue walketh through the earth.
10Therefore his people return hither:
and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.
11And they say, How doth God know?
And is there knowledge in the Most High?
12Behold, these are the ungodly,
who prosper in the world;
they increase in riches.
13Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain,
and washed my hands in innocency.
14For all the day long have I been plagued,
and chastened every morning.
15If I say, I will speak thus;
behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.
16When I thought to know this,
it was too painful for me;
17until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then understood I their end.
18Surely thou didst set them in slippery places:
thou castedst them down into destruction.
19How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment!
They are utterly consumed with terrors.
20As a dream when one awaketh;
so, O Lord, when thou awakest,
thou shalt despise their image.
21Thus my heart was grieved,
and I was pricked in my reins.
22So foolish was I, and ignorant:
I was as a beast before thee.
23Nevertheless I am continually with thee:
thou hast holden me by my right hand.
24Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel,
and afterward receive me to glory.
25Whom have I in heaven but thee?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee.
26My flesh and my heart faileth:
but God is the strength of my heart,
and my portion for ever.
27For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish:
thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.
28But it is good for me to draw near to God:
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
that I may declare all thy works.
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Psalm 73: KJVAE
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King James Version 1611, spelling, punctuation and text formatting modernized by ABS in 1962; typesetting © 2010 American Bible Society.
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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