Psalms
(A psalm of Asaph’s.)
73 Assuredly the Deity is good to the upright man,
God to the single-hearted.
2 But as for me, my feet were very near going wrong,
my steps were at the point of slipping,
3 Because I was jealous at reckless men,
seeing the welfare of wrong-doers,
4 That they are under no duress,
their paunch is sound and plump.
5 They are not in the troubles of humanity
and are not stricken with mankind.
6 So pride is their necklace,
a drapery of enormities wraps them round,
7 Their complexion is clearer than milk,
they surpass the imagery of fancy.
8 They crack jokes over bad things
and refuse justice in most lofty terms.
9 They have set their mouth in the sky
and their tongue walks about on earth.
10 So his people turns back to this,
and they are humiliated at the fullness of them
11 And say “How can it be that Deity knows
and there is knowledge on high?
12 Here these are wrong-doers
and forever undisturbed, they aggrandize their fortunes.
13 It was just to no purpose that I kept my heart clean
and washed my hands in innocence,
14 And I have been smitten all day
and my chastisement comes every morning.”
15 If I thought I would tell the story like that
I should be faithless to the generation of your children.
16 And I studied to know about this;
I found it a trying task
17 Till I went into Deity’s sanctuary,
discerned their future:
18 You set their feet altogether in slippery places
and bring them to their fall with blasting.
19 How they have become blighted wrecks in an instant,
ended, totally gone in dissolution,
20 Like a dream that after waking is not there,
at rousing you despise its images!
21 When my heart goes sour
and I am pricked in my bosom,
22 I am brutish and do not know;
I am a beast to you.
23 But I am always with you;
you hold my right hand;
24 You will guide me on the line of your plan
and afterward take me in glory.
25 Who is there for me in heaven?
and beside you I care for nothing on earth.
26 My muscles and my brain are giving out,
but God is my portion forever.
27 For those who are far from you do perish,
you annihilate those who leave you and find an unlawful mate,
28 But to me God’s nearness is good;
I have made the Lord Jehovah my refuge,
telling the story of all your workings.