卷三:诗篇73—89

上帝的公正审判

亚萨的诗。

73 上帝实在善待以色列人,
恩待那些内心纯洁的人。
我却身陷险地,
几乎失脚跌倒。
我看见狂傲的恶人亨通就心怀不平。
他们一生平顺,健康强壮。
他们不像别人受苦,
不像世人遭难。
他们把骄傲作项链戴在颈上,
把暴力作外袍裹在身上。
他们胖得眼睛凸出,
心中充满罪恶。
他们讥讽嘲笑,言语恶毒,
狂妄地以暴力相威胁。
他们亵渎上天,诋毁大地。
10 上帝的子民也跟随他们,
听从他们的话。
11 他们说:
“上帝怎能知道?
至高者会察觉吗?”
12 看这些恶人,
他们总是生活安逸,财富日增。
13 我洁身自爱,保持清白,
实属徒然。
14 我天天遭灾,日日受苦。
15 要是我这样说,
我就是背叛了你的子民。
16 我想明白这一切,
却百思不得其解。
17 直到我进入你的圣所,
才明白他们的结局。
18 你把他们放在容易滑倒的地方,
使他们落入毁灭中。
19 他们顷刻间被毁灭,
在恐怖中彻底灭亡。
20 他们不过是人醒来后的一场梦。
主啊,你一行动,
他们必灰飞烟灭。
21 我曾感到悲伤,心如刀绞。
22 我当时愚昧无知,
在你面前如同畜类。
23 然而,我一直和你在一起,
你牵着我的手引导我。
24 你以谆谆教诲指引我,
以后必接我到荣耀中。
25 除你以外,在天上我还有谁?
除你以外,在地上我别无爱慕。
26 尽管我身心俱衰,
上帝永远是我心中的力量,
永远属于我。
27 那些远离你的人必灭亡,
你必灭绝不忠于你的人。
28 对于我,到上帝面前是何等美好。
我以主耶和华为我的避难所,
并宣扬祂的一切作为。

卷三:詩篇73—89

上帝的公正審判

亞薩的詩。

73 上帝實在善待以色列人,
恩待那些內心純潔的人。
我卻身陷險地,
幾乎失腳跌倒。
我看見狂傲的惡人亨通就心懷不平。
他們一生平順,健康強壯。
他們不像別人受苦,
不像世人遭難。
他們把驕傲作項鏈戴在頸上,
把暴力作外袍裹在身上。
他們胖得眼睛凸出,
心中充滿罪惡。
他們譏諷嘲笑,言語惡毒,
狂妄地以暴力相威脅。
他們褻瀆上天,詆譭大地。
10 上帝的子民也跟隨他們,
聽從他們的話。
11 他們說:
「上帝怎能知道?
至高者會察覺嗎?」
12 看這些惡人,
他們總是生活安逸,財富日增。
13 我潔身自愛,保持清白,
實屬徒然。
14 我天天遭災,日日受苦。
15 要是我這樣說,
我就是背叛了你的子民。
16 我想明白這一切,
卻百思不得其解。
17 直到我進入你的聖所,
才明白他們的結局。
18 你把他們放在容易滑倒的地方,
使他們落入毀滅中。
19 他們頃刻間被毀滅,
在恐怖中徹底滅亡。
20 他們不過是人醒來後的一場夢。
主啊,你一行動,
他們必灰飛煙滅。
21 我曾感到悲傷,心如刀絞。
22 我當時愚昧無知,
在你面前如同畜類。
23 然而,我一直和你在一起,
你牽著我的手引導我。
24 你以諄諄教誨指引我,
以後必接我到榮耀中。
25 除你以外,在天上我還有誰?
除你以外,在地上我別無愛慕。
26 儘管我身心俱衰,
上帝永遠是我心中的力量,
永遠屬於我。
27 那些遠離你的人必滅亡,
你必滅絕不忠於你的人。
28 對於我,到上帝面前是何等美好。
我以主耶和華為我的避難所,
並宣揚祂的一切作為。

BOOK III

Psalms 73–89

Psalm 73

A psalm of Asaph.

Surely God is good to Israel,
    to those who are pure in heart.(A)

But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;(B)
    I had nearly lost my foothold.(C)
For I envied(D) the arrogant
    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.(E)

They have no struggles;
    their bodies are healthy and strong.[a]
They are free(F) from common human burdens;
    they are not plagued by human ills.
Therefore pride(G) is their necklace;(H)
    they clothe themselves with violence.(I)
From their callous hearts(J) comes iniquity[b];
    their evil imaginations have no limits.
They scoff, and speak with malice;(K)
    with arrogance(L) they threaten oppression.(M)
Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
    and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them
    and drink up waters in abundance.[c]
11 They say, “How would God know?
    Does the Most High know anything?”

12 This is what the wicked are like—
    always free of care,(N) they go on amassing wealth.(O)

13 Surely in vain(P) I have kept my heart pure
    and have washed my hands in innocence.(Q)
14 All day long I have been afflicted,(R)
    and every morning brings new punishments.

15 If I had spoken out like that,
    I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand(S) all this,
    it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary(T) of God;
    then I understood their final destiny.(U)

18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;(V)
    you cast them down to ruin.(W)
19 How suddenly(X) are they destroyed,
    completely swept away(Y) by terrors!
20 They are like a dream(Z) when one awakes;(AA)
    when you arise, Lord,
    you will despise them as fantasies.(AB)

21 When my heart was grieved
    and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless(AC) and ignorant;
    I was a brute beast(AD) before you.

23 Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.(AE)
24 You guide(AF) me with your counsel,(AG)
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?(AH)
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.(AI)
26 My flesh and my heart(AJ) may fail,(AK)
    but God is the strength(AL) of my heart
    and my portion(AM) forever.

27 Those who are far from you will perish;(AN)
    you destroy all who are unfaithful(AO) to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.(AP)
    I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;(AQ)
    I will tell of all your deeds.(AR)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 73:4 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text struggles at their death; / their bodies are healthy
  2. Psalm 73:7 Syriac (see also Septuagint); Hebrew Their eyes bulge with fat
  3. Psalm 73:10 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.

BOOK THREE

Psalms 73–89

The Tragedy of the Wicked, and the Blessedness of Trust in God

A Psalm of (A)Asaph.

73 Truly God is good to Israel,
To such as are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
My steps had nearly (B)slipped.
(C)For I was envious of the boastful,
When I saw the prosperity of the (D)wicked.

For there are no [a]pangs in their death,
But their strength is firm.
(E)They are not in trouble as other men,
Nor are they plagued like other men.
Therefore pride serves as their necklace;
Violence covers them (F)like a garment.
(G)Their [b]eyes bulge with abundance;
They have more than heart could wish.
(H)They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;
They (I)speak [c]loftily.
They set their mouth (J)against the heavens,
And their tongue walks through the earth.

10 Therefore his people return here,
(K)And waters of a full cup are drained by them.
11 And they say, (L)“How does God know?
And is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12 Behold, these are the ungodly,
Who are always at ease;
They increase in riches.
13 Surely I have [d]cleansed my heart in (M)vain,
And washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all day long I have been plagued,
And chastened every morning.

15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.
16 When I thought how to understand this,
It was [e]too painful for me—
17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their (N)end.

18 Surely (O)You set them in slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
19 Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment!
They are utterly consumed with terrors.
20 As a dream when one awakes,
So, Lord, when You awake,
You shall despise their image.

21 Thus my heart was grieved,
And I was [f]vexed in my mind.
22 (P)I was so foolish and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
24 (Q)You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.

25 (R)Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
26 (S)My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the [g]strength of my heart and my (T)portion forever.

27 For indeed, (U)those who are far from You shall perish;
You have destroyed all those who [h]desert You for harlotry.
28 But it is good for me to (V)draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may (W)declare all Your works.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 73:4 pains
  2. Psalm 73:7 Tg. face bulges; LXX, Syr., Vg. iniquity bulges
  3. Psalm 73:8 Proudly
  4. Psalm 73:13 kept my heart pure in vain
  5. Psalm 73:16 troublesome in my eyes
  6. Psalm 73:21 Lit. pierced in my kidneys
  7. Psalm 73:26 Lit. rock
  8. Psalm 73:27 Are unfaithful to You