Psalm 73

New International Version

BOOK III

Psalms 73–89

Psalm 73

A psalm of Asaph.

¹Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.^(A)

²But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;^(B)
I had nearly lost my foothold.^(C)
³For I envied^(D) the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.^(E)

⁴They have no struggles;
    their bodies are healthy and strong.^[a]
⁵They are free^(F) from common human burdens;
    they are not plagued by human ills.
⁶Therefore pride^(G) is their necklace;^(H)
    they clothe themselves with violence.^(I)
⁷From their callous hearts^(J) comes iniquity^[b];
    their evil imaginations have no limits.
⁸They scoff, and speak with malice;^(K)
    with arrogance^(L) they threaten oppression.^(M)
⁹Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
    and their tongues take possession of the earth.
¹⁰Therefore their people turn to them
    and drink up waters in abundance.^[c]
¹¹They say, “How would God know?
    Does the Most High know anything?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

²⁷Those who are far from you will perish;^(AN)
    you destroy all who are unfaithful^(AO) to you.
²⁸But 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

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

Matthew 10:16-39

New International Version

¹⁶“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.^(A) Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.^(B) ¹⁷Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils^(C) and be flogged in the synagogues.^(D) ¹⁸On my account you will be brought before governors and kings^(E) as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it.^(F) At that time you will be given what to say, ²⁰for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father^(G) speaking through you.

²¹“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents^(H) and have them put to death.^(I) ²²You will be hated by everyone because of me,^(J) but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.^(K) ²³When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.^(L)

²⁴“The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master.^(M) ²⁵It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul,^(N) how much more the members of his household!

²⁶“So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.^(O) ²⁷What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. ²⁸Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One^(P) who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.^[a] ³⁰And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.^(Q) ³¹So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.^(R)

³²“Whoever acknowledges me before others,^(S) I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. ³³But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.^(T)

³⁴“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵For I have come to turn

“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law^(U)—
³⁶ a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’^[b]^(V)

³⁷“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.^(W) ³⁸Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.^(X) ³⁹Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.^(Y)

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Footnotes

Matthew 10:29 Or will; or knowledge
Matthew 10:36 Micah 7:6

John 16:33

New International Version

³³“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.^(A) In this world you will have trouble.^(B) But take heart! I have overcome^(C) the world.”

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John 16:33 in all English translations