73 Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.

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

³ For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

⁴ For there are no bands 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 compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.

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

⁸ They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.

⁹ They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.

¹⁰ Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.

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

¹² Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.

¹³ Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.

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

¹⁵ If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.

¹⁶ When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;

¹⁷ Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.

¹⁸ Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.

¹⁹ How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

²⁰ As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.

²¹ Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.

²² So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.

²³ Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.

²⁴ Thou shalt 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 beside 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 go a whoring from thee.

²⁸ But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.

74 O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?

² Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.

³ Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.

⁴ Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.

⁵ A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.

⁶ But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.

⁷ They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.

⁸ They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.

⁹ We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.

¹⁰ O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?

¹¹ Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom.

¹² For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.

¹³ Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.

¹⁴ Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

¹⁵ Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers.

¹⁶ The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.

¹⁷ Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.

¹⁸ Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O Lord, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.

¹⁹ O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.

²⁰ Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.

²¹ O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.

²² Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.

²³ Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually.

75 Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.

² When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly.

³ The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah.

⁴ I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn:

⁵ Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.

⁶ For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.

⁷ But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

⁸ For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.

⁹ But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

¹⁰ All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.

76 In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel.

² In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.

³ There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah.

⁴ Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.

⁵ The stouthearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep: and none of the men of might have found their hands.

⁶ At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep.

⁷ Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?

⁸ Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still,

⁹ When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.

¹⁰ Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.

¹¹ Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared.

¹² He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth.