New Revised Standard NRS
Common English Bible CEB
1 Truly God is good to the upright, to those who are pure in heart.
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Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are have a pure heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped.
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But me? My feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped
3 For I was envious of the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
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because I envied the arrogant; I observed how the wicked are well off:
4 For they have no pain; their bodies are sound and sleek.
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They suffer no pain; their bodies are fit and strong.
5 They are not in trouble as others are; they are not plagued like other people.
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They are never in trouble; they aren't weighed down like other people.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them like a garment.
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That's why they wear arrogance like a necklace, why violence covers them like clothes.
7 Their eyes swell out with fatness; their hearts overflow with follies.
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Their eyes bulge out from eating so well; their hearts overflow with delusions.
8 They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression.
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They scoff and talk so cruel; from their privileged positions they plan oppression.
9 They set their mouths against heaven, and their tongues range over the earth.
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Their mouths dare to speak against heaven! Their tongues roam the earth!
10 Therefore the people turn and praise them, and find no fault in them.
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That's why people keep going back to them, keep approving what they say.
11 And they say, "How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?"
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And what they say is this: "How could God possibly know! Does the Most High know anything at all!"
12 Such are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.
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Look at these wicked ones, always relaxed, piling up the wealth!
13 All in vain I have kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.
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Meanwhile, I've kept my heart pure for no good reason; I've washed my hands to stay innocent for nothing.
14 For all day long I have been plagued, and am punished every morning.
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I'm weighed down all day long. I'm punished every morning.
15 If I had said, "I will talk on in this way," I would have been untrue to the circle of your children.
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If I said, "I will talk about all this," I would have been unfaithful to your children.
16 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task,
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But when I tried to understand these things, it just seemed like hard work
17 until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end.
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until I entered God's sanctuary and understood what would happen to the wicked.
18 Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin.
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You will definitely put them on a slippery path; you will make them fall into ruin!
19 How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors!
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How quickly they are devastated, utterly destroyed by terrors!
20 They are like a dream when one awakes; on awaking you despise their phantoms.
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As quickly as a dream departs from someone waking up, my Lord, when you are stirred up, you make them disappear.
21 When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart,
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When my heart was bitter, when I was all cut up inside,
22 I was stupid and ignorant; I was like a brute beast toward you.
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I was stupid and ignorant. I acted like nothing but an animal toward you.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.
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But I was still always with you! You held my strong hand!
24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me with honor.
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You have guided me with your advice; later you will receive me with glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you.
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Do I have anyone else in heaven? There's nothing on earth I desire except you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
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My body and my heart fail, but God is my heart's rock and my share forever.
27 Indeed, those who are far from you will perish; you put an end to those who are false to you.
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Look! Those far from you die; you annihilate all those who are unfaithful to you.
28 But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, to tell of all your works.
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But me? It's good for me to be near God. I have taken my refuge in you, my LORD God, so I can talk all about your works!
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible