Psalm 73

God Is My Strength and Portion Forever

A Psalm of Asaph.

1  Truly God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
2  But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
my steps had nearly slipped.
3  For I was envious of the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4  For they have no pangs until death;
their bodies are fat and sleek.
5  They are not in trouble as others are;
they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.
6  Therefore pride is their necklace;
violence covers them as a garment.
7  Their eyes swell out through fatness;
their hearts overflow with follies.
8  They scoff and speak with malice;
loftily they threaten oppression.
9  They set their mouths against the heavens,
and their tongue struts through the earth.
10  Therefore his people turn back to them,
and find no fault in them.t
11  And they say, "How can God know?
Is there knowledge in the Most High?"
12  Behold, these are the wicked;
always at ease, they increase in riches.
13  All in vain have I kept my heart clean
and washed my hands in innocence.
14  For all the day long I have been stricken
and rebuked every morning.
15  If I had said, "I will speak thus,"
I would have betrayed the generation of your children.

16  But when I thought how to understand this,
it seemed to me a wearisome task,
17  until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I discerned their end.

18  Truly you set them in slippery places;
you make them fall to ruin.
19  How they are destroyed in a moment,
swept away utterly by terrors!
20  Like a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.
21  When my soul was embittered,
when I was pricked in heart,
22  I was brutish and ignorant;
I was like a beast toward you.

23  Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
24  You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
25  Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
26  My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strengtht of my heart and my portion forever.

27  For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
28  But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works.

Psalm 73

1 Surely God is good to Israel, Even to such as are pure in heart.

2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; My steps had well nigh slipped.

3 For I was envious at the arrogant, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4 For there are no pangs in their death; But their strength is firm.

5 They are not in trouble as other men; Neither are they plagued like other men.

6 Therefore pride is as a chain about their neck; Violence covereth them as a garment.

7 Their eyes stand out with fatness: They have more than heart could wish.

8 They scoff, and in wickedness utter oppression: They speak loftily.

9 They have set their mouth in the heavens, And their tongue walketh through the earth.

10 Therefore his people return hither: And waters of a full cup are drained by them.

11 And they say, How doth God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?

12 Behold, these are the wicked; And, being alway at ease, they increase in riches.

13 Surely in vain have I cleansed my heart, And washed my hands in innocency;

14 For all the day long have I been plagued, And chastened every morning.

15 If I had said, I will speak thus; Behold, I had dealt treacherously with the generation of thy children.

16 When I thought how I might know this, It was too painful for me;

17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God, And considered their latter end.

18 Surely thou settest them in slippery places: Thou castest them down to destruction.

19 How are they become a desolation in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors.

20 As a dream when one awaketh, So, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou wilt despise their image.

21 For my soul was grieved, And I was pricked in my heart:

22 So brutish was I, and ignorant; I was as a beast before thee.

23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: Thou hast holden my right hand.

24 Thou wilt guide me with thy counsel, And afterward receive me to glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee.

26 My flesh and my heart faileth; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.

27 For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: Thou hast destroyed all them that play the harlot, departing from thee.

28 But it is good for me to draw near unto God: I have made the Lord Jehovah my refuge, That I may tell of all thy works.