Psalm 73-76

International Children’s Bible

⁴ They are not suffering.
    They are healthy and strong.
⁵ They don’t have troubles like the rest of us.
    They don’t have problems like other people.
⁶ So they wear pride like a necklace.
    They put on violence as their clothing.
⁷ They are looking for profits.
    They do not control their selfish desires.
⁸ They make fun of others and speak evil.
    Proudly they speak of hurting others.
⁹ They brag to the sky.
    Their mouths gossip on the earth.
¹⁰ So their people turn to them
    and give them whatever they want.
¹¹ They say, “How can God know?
    What does God Most High know?”
¹² These people are wicked,
    always at ease and getting richer.
¹³ So why have I kept my heart pure?
    Why have I kept my hands from doing wrong?
¹⁴ I have suffered all day long.
    I have been punished every morning.

¹⁵ God, if I had decided to talk about this,
    I would have let your people down.
¹⁶ I tried to understand all this.
    But it was too hard for me to see
¹⁷ until I went to the Temple of God.
    Then I understood what will happen to them.
¹⁸ You have put them in danger.
    You cause them to be destroyed.
¹⁹ They are destroyed in a moment.
    They are swept away by terrors.
²⁰ It will be like waking from a dream.
    Lord, when you come, they will disappear.

²¹ When my heart was sad and
    I was angry,
²² I was senseless and stupid.
    I acted like an animal toward you.
²³ But I am always with you.
    You have held my hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your advice.
    And later you will receive me in honor.
²⁵ I have no one in heaven but you.
    I want nothing on earth besides you.
²⁶ My mind and my body may become weak.
    But God is my strength.
    He is mine forever.

²⁷ Those who are far from God will die.
    You destroy those who are unfaithful.
²⁸ But I am close to God, and that is good.
    The Lord God is my protection.
    I will tell all that you have done.

⁴ Those who were against you shouted in your meeting place.
    They raised their flags there.
⁵ They came with axes raised
    as if to cut down a forest of trees.
⁶ They smashed the carved panels
    with their axes and hatchets.
⁷ They burned your Temple to the ground.
    They have made the place where you live unclean.
⁸ They thought, “We will completely crush them!”
    They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land.
⁹ We do not see any signs.
    There are no more prophets.
    And no one knows how long this will last.
¹⁰ God, how much longer will the enemy make fun of you?
    Will they insult you forever?
¹¹ Why do you hold back your power?
    Bring your power out in the open and destroy them!

¹² God, you have been our king for a long time.
    You have saved this country.
¹³ You split open the sea by your power.
    You broke the heads of the sea monster.
¹⁴ You smashed the heads of the monster Leviathan.
    You gave him to the desert creatures as food.
¹⁵ You opened up the springs and streams.
    And you made the rivers run dry.
¹⁶ Both the day and the night are yours.
    You made the sun and the moon.
¹⁷ You made all the limits on the earth.
    You created summer and winter.

¹⁸ Lord, remember how the enemy insulted you.
    Remember how those foolish people turned away from you.
¹⁹ Do not give us, your doves, to those wild animals.
    Never forget your poor people.
²⁰ Remember the agreement you made with us
    because violence fills every dark corner of this land.
²¹ Do not let your suffering people be disgraced.
    The poor and helpless people praise you.

²² God, come and defend yourself.
    Remember the insults that come from those foolish people all day long.
²³ Don’t forget what your enemies said.
    Don’t forget their roar as they rise against you always.

² You say, “I set the time for trial.
    I will judge fairly.
³ The earth with all its people may shake.
    I am the one who holds it steady. Selah
⁴ I say to those who are proud, ‘Don’t brag.’
    I say to the wicked, ‘Don’t show your power.
⁵ Don’t try to use your power against heaven.
    Don’t be stubborn.’”

⁶ No one from the east or the west
    or the desert can judge you.
⁷ God is the judge.
    He judges one person as guilty, and another as innocent.
⁸ The Lord holds a cup of anger in his hand.
    It is full of wine mixed with spices.
He pours it out even to the last drop.
    And the wicked drink it all.

⁹ I will tell about this forever.
    I will sing praise to the God of Jacob.
¹⁰ He will take all power away from the wicked.
    But the power of good people will grow.

⁴ God, how wonderful you are!
    You are more wonderful than the hills full of animals.
⁵ The brave soldiers were stripped
    as they lay asleep in death.
Not one warrior
    had the strength to stop it.
⁶ God of Jacob, when you spoke strongly,
    horses and riders fell dead.
⁷ You should be feared.
    Who can stand against you when you are angry?
⁸ From heaven you gave the decision.
    And the earth was afraid and silent.
⁹ God, you stood up to judge
    and to save the people of the earth who were not proud. Selah
¹⁰ People praise you for your anger against evil.
    Those who live through your anger are stopped from doing more evil.

¹¹ Keep your promises to the Lord your God.
    From all around gifts should come to the God we worship.
¹² God defeats great leaders.
    The kings on earth fear him.