Psalm 73 | English Standard Version

English Standard Version

God Is My Strength and Portion Forever

1 A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. (Ps 24:4; Ps 50:1; Joh 1:47) 2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. 3 For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. (Job 21:7; Ps 37:1; Ps 37:7; Ps 92:7; Pr 23:17; Jer 12:1)

Job 21:7Ps 37:1Ps 37:7Ps 92:7Pr 23:17Jer 12:1

4 For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek. 5 They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind. (Isa 53:4) 6 Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment. (Jud 8:26; Ps 109:18) 7 Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies. (Job 15:27) 8 They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. (2Pe 2:18; Jud 1:16) 9 They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth. 10 Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them.^[1] (Job 15:16) 11 And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” (Job 22:13) 12 Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. (Ps 73:3) 13 All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. (Job 34:9; Ps 26:6; Ps 73:1) 14 For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning. (Ps 73:5; Ps 101:8; Re 3:19) 15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed the generation of your children. (Ps 14:5) 16 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, (Ec 8:17) 17 until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. (Ps 20:2; Ps 37:38) 18 Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. (Ps 35:6) 19 How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! (Nu 16:21; Job 18:11) 20 Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms. (Job 20:8; Ps 78:65) 21 When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, 22 I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. (Job 11:12; Job 18:3; Ps 49:10) 23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. (Ps 41:12; Ps 63:8) 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. (Ps 32:8; Ps 49:15) 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. (Ps 16:2; Php 3:8) 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength^[2] of my heart and my portion forever. (Ps 16:5; Ps 18:2; Ps 40:12; Ps 84:2; Da 12:3)

Ps 16:5Ps 18:2Ps 40:12Ps 84:2Da 12:3

27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. (Ex 34:15; Nu 15:39; Ps 106:39; Ps 119:155; Jas 4:4)

Ex 34:15Nu 15:39Ps 106:39Ps 119:155Jas 4:4

28 But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works. (Ps 14:6; Ps 118:17; Heb 10:22; Jas 4:8)

Ps 14:6Ps 118:17Heb 10:22Jas 4:8

New International Version

A psalm of Asaph.

1 Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. 2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. 3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.^[1] 5 They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills. 6 Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. 7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity^[2]; their evil imaginations have no limits. 8 They scoff, and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression. 9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. 10 Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance.^[3] 11 They say, ‘How would God know? Does the Most High know anything?’ 12 This is what the wicked are like – always free of care, they go on amassing wealth. 13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence. 14 All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments. 15 If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children. 16 When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply 17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. 18 Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. 19 How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! 20 They are like a dream when one awakes; when you arise, Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. 21 When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, 22 I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. 23 Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterwards you will take me into glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever. 27 Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. 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.

King James Version

1 A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. 2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. 3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. 5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. 6 Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. 7 Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. 8 They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. 9 They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. 10 Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. 11 And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? 12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. 13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. 14 For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. 15 If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. 16 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; 17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. 18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. 19 How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. 20 As a dream when one awaketh; so , O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image. 21 Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins. 22 So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. 23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. 24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. 26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. 27 For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. 28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.

New International Reader’s Version

A psalm of Asaph.

1 God is truly good to Israel. He is good to those who have pure hearts. 2 But my feet had almost slipped. I had almost tripped and fallen. 3 I saw that proud and sinful people were doing well. And I began to long for what they had. 4 They don’t have any troubles. Their bodies are healthy and strong. 5 They don’t have the problems most people have. They don’t suffer as other people do. 6 Their pride is like a necklace. They put on meanness as if it were their clothes. 7 Many sins come out of their hard and stubborn hearts. There is no limit to the evil things they can think up. 8 They laugh at others and speak words of hatred. They are proud. They warn others about the harm they can do to them. 9 They boast as if they owned heaven itself. They talk as if they controlled the earth. 10 So people listen to them. They lap up their words like water. 11 They say, ‘How would God know what we’re doing? Does the Most High God know anything?’ 12 Here is what sinful people are like. They don’t have a care in the world. They keep getting richer and richer. 13 It seems as if I have kept my heart pure for no reason. It didn’t do me any good to wash my hands to show that I wasn’t guilty of doing anything wrong. 14 Day after day I’ve been in pain. God has punished me in a new way every morning. 15 What if I had talked like that? Then I wouldn’t have been faithful to God’s children. 16 I tried to understand it all. But it was more than I could handle. 17 It troubled me until I entered God’s temple. Then I understood what will finally happen to bad people. 18 God, I’m sure you will make them slip and fall. You will throw them down and destroy them. 19 It will happen very suddenly. A terrible death will take them away completely. 20 A dream goes away when a person wakes up. Lord, it will be like that when you rise up. It will be as if those people were only a dream. 21 At one time my heart was sad and my spirit was bitter. 22 I didn’t have any sense. I didn’t know anything. I acted like a wild animal towards you. 23 But I am always with you. You hold me by my right hand. 24 You give me wise advice to guide me. And when I die, you will take me away into the glory of heaven. 25 I don’t have anyone in heaven but you. I don’t want anything on earth besides you. 26 My body and my heart may grow weak. God, you give strength to my heart. You are everything I will ever need. 27 Those who don’t want anything to do with you will die. You destroy all those who aren’t faithful to you. 28 But I am close to you. And that’s good. LORD and King, I have made you my place of safety. I will talk about everything you have done.