Psalm 73
English Standard Version
Book Three
God Is My Strength and Portion Forever
A Psalm of (A)Asaph.
73 Truly God is good to (B)Israel,
to those who are (C)pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
my steps had nearly slipped.
3 (D)For I was (E)envious of the arrogant
when I saw the (F)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 (G)stricken like the rest of mankind.
6 Therefore pride is (H)their necklace;
violence covers them as (I)a garment.
7 Their (J)eyes swell out through fatness;
their hearts overflow with follies.
8 They scoff and (K)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 (L)no fault in them.[a]
11 And they say, (M)“How can God know?
Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12 Behold, these are the wicked;
always at ease, they (N)increase in riches.
13 All in vain have I (O)kept my heart clean
and (P)washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all the day long I have been (Q)stricken
and (R)rebuked (S)every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
I would have betrayed (T)the generation of your children.
16 But when I thought how to understand this,
it seemed to me (U)a wearisome task,
17 until I went into (V)the sanctuary of God;
then I discerned their (W)end.
18 Truly you set them in (X)slippery places;
you make them fall to ruin.
19 How they are destroyed (Y)in a moment,
swept away utterly by (Z)terrors!
20 Like (AA)a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when (AB)you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.
21 When my soul was embittered,
when I was pricked in heart,
22 I was (AC)brutish and ignorant;
I was like (AD)a beast toward you.
23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you (AE)hold my right hand.
24 You (AF)guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will (AG)receive me to glory.
25 (AH)Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
26 (AI)My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is (AJ)the strength[b] of my heart and my (AK)portion (AL)forever.
27 For behold, those who are (AM)far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is (AN)unfaithful to you.
28 But for me it is good to (AO)be near God;
I have made the Lord God my (AP)refuge,
that I may (AQ)tell of all your works.
Footnotes
- Psalm 73:10 Probable reading; Hebrew the waters of a full cup are drained by them
- Psalm 73:26 Hebrew rock
Tehillim 73
Orthodox Jewish Bible
73 (Mizmor of Asaph). Truly Elohim is tov to Yisroel, even to the barei levav (pure of heart).
2 But as for me, my raglayim had almost stumbled; my steps had well near slipped.
3 For I had kina (envy) of the holelim (arrogant ones), when I saw the shalom of the resha’im.
4 For there are no chartzubot (fetters, bonds, pains) in their mot; healthy is their belly.
5 They are not in amal (trouble) as enosh; neither are they plagued like adam.
6 Therefore ga’avah encircleth them like a chain necklace; chamas enwraps them like a garment.
7 Their eyes bulge with chelev; they have more than levav could imagine.
8 They mock, and speak wickedly concerning oshek (oppression); they speak from marom (on high).
9 They set their mouth against Shomayim, and their leshon stalketh in ha’aretz.
10 Therefore their people return here; and mayim to the full are swallowed down by them.
11 And they say, How doth El (G-d) know? And is there knowledge in Elyon?
12 Hinei, these are the resha’im; at ease olam, they increase in riches.
13 Surely in vain have I cleansed my lev, and washed my hands in innocency.
14 For kol hayom have I been plagued, and chastened in the bekarim (mornings).
15 If I say, I will speak thus; hinei, I would have dealt faithlessly with the dor banecha (the generation of Thy children).
16 When I thought to comprehend this, it was amal (difficulty) in my eyes;
17 Until I went into the Mikdeshei El; then I had binah (understanding) of their (the wicked’s) destiny.
18 Surely Thou didst set them in slippery places; Thou castedst them down into mashu’ot (ruins, destruction).
19 How are they brought into desolation, as in a rega (moment)! They are utterly consumed with balahot (terrors).
20 As a chalom when one awaketh; so, Adonoi, when Thou art aroused [in judgment], Thou shalt despise their tzelem (shadowy form).
21 Thus my levav was grieved, and I was pricked in my mind.
22 So senseless was I, and ignorant; I was like behemot before Thee.
23 Nevertheless I am with Thee tamid (always); Thou hast taken hold of me by my yamin.
24 Thou shalt guide me with Thy etzah (counsel), and afterward take me to kavod (glory).
25 Whom have I in Shomayim but Thee? And there is none upon HaAretz that I desire beside Thee.
26 My flesh and my levav may fail; but Elohim is the Tzur of my levav, and my chelek l’olam.
27 For, hinei, they that are far from Thee shall perish; Thou hast destroyed all them that go zoneh (a-whoring) from Thee.
28 But kiravat Elohim (drawing near to Elohim) is tov for me; I make in Adonoi Hashem my refuge, that I may declare all Thy deeds.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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