Psalm 73:1-28 (New American Standard)

BOOK 3

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

1 Surely God is ¹ good to Israel, To those who are ² pure in heart! 2 But as for me, ³my feet came close to stumbling, My steps ^ahad almost slipped. 3 For I was ⁴envious of the ^barrogant As I saw the ⁵prosperity of the wicked. 4 For there are no pains in their death, And their ^cbody is fat. 5 They are ⁶not ^din trouble as other ^emen, Nor are they ⁷plagued ^flike mankind. 6 Therefore pride is ⁸their necklace ; The ⁹garment of violence covers them. 7 Their eye ^gbulges from ¹⁰fatness ; The imaginations of their heart ^hrun riot. 8 They ¹¹mock and ⁱwickedly speak of oppression ; They ¹²speak from on high. 9 They have ¹³set their mouth ^jagainst the heavens, And their tongue ^kparades through the earth. 10 Therefore ^lhis people return to this place, And waters of ¹⁴abundance are ^mdrunk by them. 11 They say, "¹⁵How does God know ? And is there knowledge ⁿwith the Most High ?" 12 Behold, ¹⁶these are the wicked ; And always ¹⁷at ease, they have increased in wealth. 13 Surely ¹⁸in vain I have ^okept my heart pure And ¹⁹washed my hands in innocence ; 14 For I have been stricken ²⁰all day long And ^p21chastened every morning. 15 If I had said, "I will speak thus," Behold, I would have betrayed the ²²generation of Your children. 16 When I ²³pondered to understand this, It was ^qtroublesome in my sight 17 Until I came into the ^r24sanctuary of God ; Then I perceived their ²⁵end. 18 Surely You set them in ²⁶slippery places ; You cast them down to ^s27destruction. 19 How they are ^t28destroyed in a moment ! They are utterly swept away by ²⁹sudden terrors ! 20 Like a ³⁰dream when one awakes, O Lord, when ³¹aroused, You will ³²despise their ^uform. 21 When my ³³heart was embittered And I was ³⁴pierced ^vwithin, 22 Then I was ³⁵senseless and ignorant ; I was like ^wa ³⁶beast ^xbefore You. 23 Nevertheless ³⁷I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. 24 With Your counsel You will ³⁸guide me, And afterward ³⁹receive me ^yto glory. 25 ⁴⁰Whom have I in heaven but You? And ^zbesides You, I desire nothing on earth. 26 My ⁴¹flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the ^aastrength of my heart and my ⁴²portion forever. 27 For, behold, ⁴³those who are far from You will ⁴⁴perish ; You have ^bbdestroyed all those who ^cc45are unfaithful to You. 28 But as for me, ⁴⁶the nearness of God is my good ; I have made the Lord ^ddGOD my ⁴⁷refuge, That I may ⁴⁸tell of all Your works.