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BOOK 3

The Nearness of God Is My Good

A Psalm of Asaph.

73 Surely God is (A)good to Israel,
To those who are (B)pure in heart!
But as for me, (C)my feet had almost stumbled,
My steps [a]had almost slipped.
For I was (D)envious of the boastful,
I saw the (E)peace of the wicked.
For there are no pains in their death,
And their [b]body is fat.
They are (F)not [c]in trouble as other [d]men,
And they are not (G)stricken along with the rest of mankind.
Therefore lofty pride is (H)their necklace;
The (I)garment of violence covers them.
Their eye [e]bulges from (J)fatness;
The delusions of their heart overflow.
They (K)scoff and [f]wickedly speak of oppression;
They (L)speak from on high.
They have (M)set their mouth [g]against the heavens,
And their tongue goes through the earth.

10 Therefore [h]his people return here, to his place,
And waters of (N)fullness are [i]drunk by them.
11 They say, “(O)How does God know?
And is there knowledge with the Most High?”
12 Behold, (P)these are the wicked;
And always (Q)at ease, they have increased in wealth.
13 Surely (R)in vain I have [j]kept my heart pure
And (S)washed my hands in innocence;
14 For I have been stricken (T)all day long
And [k](U)reproved every morning.

15 If I had said, “I will recount thus,”
Behold, I would have betrayed the (V)generation of Your children.
16 When I (W)gave thought to know this,
It was trouble in my sight
17 Until I came into the [l](X)sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their (Y)end.
18 Surely You set them in (Z)slippery places;
You cause them to fall to [m](AA)destruction.
19 How they become (AB)desolate in a moment!
They are completely swept away by (AC)terrors!
20 Like a (AD)dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when (AE)aroused, You will (AF)despise their [n]form.

21 When my (AG)heart was embittered
And I was (AH)pierced [o]within,
22 Then I was (AI)senseless and ignorant;
I was like [p]an (AJ)animal [q]before You.
23 Nevertheless (AK)I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.
24 With Your counsel You will (AL)lead me,
And afterward (AM)take me [r]in glory.

25 (AN)Whom have I in heaven but You?
And [s]besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
26 My (AO)flesh and my heart fail,
But God is the rock of my heart and my (AP)portion forever.
27 For, behold, (AQ)those who are far from You will (AR)perish;
You have [t]destroyed everyone who [u](AS)is unfaithful to You.
28 But as for me, (AT)the nearness of God is my good;
I have set Lord Yahweh as my (AU)refuge,
That I may (AV)recount all Your works.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 73:2 Lit were caused to slip
  2. Psalm 73:4 Or belly
  3. Psalm 73:5 Lit in the trouble of men
  4. Psalm 73:5 Or mortals
  5. Psalm 73:7 Lit goes forth
  6. Psalm 73:8 Or they speak in wickedness; From on high they speak of oppression
  7. Psalm 73:9 Or in
  8. Psalm 73:10 Or His
  9. Psalm 73:10 Lit drained out
  10. Psalm 73:13 Or cleansed my heart
  11. Psalm 73:14 Lit my rebuking
  12. Psalm 73:17 Lit sanctuaries
  13. Psalm 73:18 Lit ruins
  14. Psalm 73:20 Or image
  15. Psalm 73:21 Lit in my kidneys
  16. Psalm 73:22 Lit animals
  17. Psalm 73:22 Lit with You
  18. Psalm 73:24 Or with honor
  19. Psalm 73:25 Or with
  20. Psalm 73:27 Or silenced
  21. Psalm 73:27 Lit goes to a whoring from

BOOK 3

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

A Psalm of Asaph.

73 Surely God is (A)good to Israel,
To those who are (B)pure in heart!
But as for me, (C)my feet came close to stumbling,
My steps [a]had almost slipped.
For I was (D)envious of the [b]arrogant
As I saw the (E)prosperity of the wicked.
For there are no pains in their death,
And their [c]body is fat.
They are (F)not [d]in trouble as other [e]men,
Nor are they (G)plagued [f]like mankind.
Therefore pride is (H)their necklace;
The (I)garment of violence covers them.
Their eye [g]bulges from (J)fatness;
The imaginations of their heart [h]run riot.
They (K)mock and [i]wickedly speak of oppression;
They (L)speak from on high.
They have (M)set their mouth [j]against the heavens,
And their tongue [k]parades through the earth.

10 Therefore [l]his people return to this place,
And waters of (N)abundance are [m]drunk by them.
11 They say, “(O)How does God know?
And is there knowledge [n]with the Most High?”
12 Behold, (P)these are the wicked;
And always (Q)at ease, they have increased in wealth.
13 Surely (R)in vain I have [o]kept my heart pure
And (S)washed my hands in innocence;
14 For I have been stricken (T)all day long
And [p](U)chastened every morning.

15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
Behold, I would have betrayed the (V)generation of Your children.
16 When I (W)pondered to understand this,
It was [q]troublesome in my sight
17 Until I came into the [r](X)sanctuary of God;
Then I perceived their (Y)end.
18 Surely You set them in (Z)slippery places;
You cast them down to [s](AA)destruction.
19 How they are [t](AB)destroyed in a moment!
They are utterly swept away by (AC)sudden terrors!
20 Like a (AD)dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when (AE)aroused, You will (AF)despise their [u]form.

21 When my (AG)heart was embittered
And I was (AH)pierced [v]within,
22 Then I was (AI)senseless and ignorant;
I was like [w]a (AJ)beast [x]before You.
23 Nevertheless (AK)I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.
24 With Your counsel You will (AL)guide me,
And afterward (AM)receive me [y]to glory.

25 (AN)Whom have I in heaven but You?
And [z]besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
26 My (AO)flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the [aa]strength of my heart and my (AP)portion forever.
27 For, behold, (AQ)those who are far from You will (AR)perish;
You have [ab]destroyed all those who [ac](AS)are unfaithful to You.
28 But as for me, (AT)the nearness of God is my good;
I have made the Lord [ad]God my (AU)refuge,
That I may (AV)tell of all Your works.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 73:2 Lit were caused to slip
  2. Psalm 73:3 Or boasters
  3. Psalm 73:4 Or belly
  4. Psalm 73:5 Lit in the trouble of men
  5. Psalm 73:5 Or mortals
  6. Psalm 73:5 Lit with
  7. Psalm 73:7 Lit goes forth
  8. Psalm 73:7 Lit overflow
  9. Psalm 73:8 Or they speak in wickedness; From on high they speak of oppression
  10. Psalm 73:9 Or in
  11. Psalm 73:9 Lit walks
  12. Psalm 73:10 Or His
  13. Psalm 73:10 Lit drained out
  14. Psalm 73:11 Lit in
  15. Psalm 73:13 Or cleansed my heart
  16. Psalm 73:14 Lit my chastening
  17. Psalm 73:16 Lit labor, trouble
  18. Psalm 73:17 Lit sanctuaries
  19. Psalm 73:18 Lit ruins
  20. Psalm 73:19 Lit become a desolation
  21. Psalm 73:20 Or image
  22. Psalm 73:21 Lit in my kidneys
  23. Psalm 73:22 Or an animal
  24. Psalm 73:22 Lit with You
  25. Psalm 73:24 Or with honor
  26. Psalm 73:25 Or with
  27. Psalm 73:26 Lit rock
  28. Psalm 73:27 Or silenced
  29. Psalm 73:27 Lit go to a whoring from
  30. Psalm 73:28 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord