Psalm 73 (New American Standard Bible)

Psalm 73

The End of the Wicked Contrasted with That of the Righteous.

A Psalm of Asaph.

BOOK 3

    ¹Surely God is ^(A)good to Israel,
         To those who are ^(B)pure in heart!
    ²But as for me, ^(C)my feet came close to stumbling,
         My steps had almost slipped.
    ³For I was ^(D)envious of the arrogant
         As I saw the ^(E)prosperity of the wicked.
    ⁴For there are no pains in their death,
         And their body is fat.
    ⁵They are ^(F)not in trouble as other men,
         Nor are they ^(G)plagued like mankind.
    ⁶Therefore pride is ^(H)their necklace;
         The ^(I)garment of violence covers them.
    ⁷Their eye bulges from ^(J)fatness;
         The imaginations of their heart run riot.
    ⁸They ^(K)mock and wickedly speak of oppression;
         They ^(L)speak from on high.
    ⁹They have ^(M)set their mouth against the heavens,
         And their tongue parades through the earth.
    ¹⁰Therefore his people return to this place,
         And waters of ^(N)abundance are drunk by them.
    ¹¹They say, "^(O)How does God know?
         And is there knowledge with the Most High?"
    ¹²Behold, ^(P)these are the wicked;
         And always ^(Q)at ease, they have increased in wealth.
    ¹³Surely ^(R)in vain I have kept my heart pure
         And ^(S)washed my hands in innocence;
    ¹⁴For I have been stricken ^(T)all day long
         And ^(U)chastened every morning.
    ¹⁵If I had said, "I will speak thus,"
         Behold, I would have betrayed the ^(V)generation of Your children.
    ¹⁶When I ^(W)pondered to understand this,
         It was troublesome in my sight
    ¹⁷Until I came into the ^(X)sanctuary of God;
         Then I perceived their ^(Y)end.
    ¹⁸Surely You set them in ^(Z)slippery places;
         You cast them down to ^(AA)destruction.
    ¹⁹How they are ^(AB)destroyed in a moment!
         They are utterly swept away by ^(AC)sudden terrors!
    ²⁰Like a ^(AD)dream when one awakes,
         O Lord, when ^(AE)aroused, You will ^(AF)despise their form.
    ²¹When my ^(AG)heart was embittered
         And I was ^(AH)pierced within,
    ²²Then I was ^(AI)senseless and ignorant;
         I was like a ^(AJ)beast before You.
    ²³Nevertheless ^(AK)I am continually with You;
         You have taken hold of my right hand.
    ²⁴With Your counsel You will ^(AL)guide me,
         And afterward ^(AM)receive me to glory.
    ^25(AN)Whom have I in heaven but You?
         And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
    ²⁶My ^(AO)flesh and my heart may fail,
         But God is the strength of my heart and my ^(AP)portion forever.
    ²⁷For, behold, ^(AQ)those who are far from You will ^(AR)perish;
         You have destroyed all those who ^(AS)are unfaithful to You.
    ²⁸But as for me, ^(AT)the nearness of God is my good;
         I have made the Lord GOD my ^(AU)refuge,
         That I may ^(AV)tell of all Your works.