New International Version NIV
Young's Literal Translation YLT
1 Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
1
A Psalm of Asaph. Only -- good to Israel [is] God, to the clean of heart. And I -- as a little thing, My feet have been turned aside,
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.
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As nothing, have my steps slipped, For I have been envious of the boastful,
3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
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The peace of the wicked I see, That there are no bands at their death,
4 They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.
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And their might [is] firm.
5 They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills.
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In the misery of mortals they are not, And with common men they are not plagued.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence.
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Therefore hath pride encircled them, Violence covereth them as a dress.
7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity ; their evil imaginations have no limits.
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Their eye hath come out from fat. The imaginations of the heart transgressed;
8 They scoff, and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression.
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They do corruptly, And they speak in the wickedness of oppression, From on high they speak.
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth.
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They have set in the heavens their mouth, And their tongue walketh in the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance.
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Therefore do His people return hither, And waters of fulness are wrung out to them.
11 They say, “How would God know? Does the Most High know anything?”
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And they have said, `How hath God known? And is there knowledge in the Most High?'
12 This is what the wicked are like— always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.
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Lo, these [are] the wicked and easy ones of the age, They have increased strength.
13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence.
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Only -- a vain thing! I have purified my heart, And I wash in innocency my hands,
14 All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments.
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And I am plagued all the day, And my reproof [is] every morning.
15 If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children.
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If I have said, `I recount thus,' Lo, a generation of Thy sons I have deceived.
16 When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply
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And I think to know this, Perverseness it [is] in mine eyes,
17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.
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Till I come in to the sanctuaries of God, I attend to their latter end.
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.
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Only, in slippery places Thou dost set them, Thou hast caused them to fall to desolations.
19 How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!
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How have they become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended -- consumed from terrors.
20 They are like a dream when one awakes; when you arise, Lord, you will despise them as fantasies.
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As a dream from awakening, O Lord, In awaking, their image Thou despisest.
21 When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,
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For my heart doth show itself violent, And my reins prick themselves,
22 I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.
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And I am brutish, and do not know. A beast I have been with Thee.
23 Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.
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And I [am] continually with Thee, Thou hast laid hold on my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.
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With Thy counsel Thou dost lead me, And after honour dost receive me.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
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Whom have I in the heavens? And with Thee none I have desired in earth.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
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Consumed hath been my flesh and my heart, The rock of my heart and my portion [is] God to the age.
27 Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
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For, lo, those far from Thee do perish, Thou hast cut off every one, Who is going a whoring from Thee.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.
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And I -- nearness of God to me [is] good, I have placed in the Lord Jehovah my refuge, To recount all Thy works!
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Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.