1Ein Psalm Asafs. Gott ist dennoch Israels Trost für alle, die reinen Herzens sind.2Ich aber wäre fast gestrauchelt mit meinen Füßen; mein Tritt wäre beinahe geglitten.3Denn ich ereiferte mich über die Ruhmredigen, da ich sah, dass es den Frevlern so gut ging. (Hi 21,7)4Denn für sie gibt es keine Qualen, gesund und feist ist ihr Leib.5Sie sind nicht in Mühsal wie sonst die Leute und werden nicht wie andere Menschen geplagt.6Darum prangen sie in Hoffart und hüllen sich in Frevel.7Sie brüsten sich wie ein fetter Wanst, sie tun, was ihnen einfällt.8Sie höhnen und reden böse, sie reden und lästern hoch her.9Was sie reden, das soll vom Himmel herab geredet sein; was sie sagen, das soll gelten auf Erden.10Darum läuft ihnen der Pöbel zu und schlürft ihr Wasser in vollen Zügen.11Sie sprechen: Wie sollte Gott es wissen? Wie sollte der Höchste etwas merken? (Ps 10,11)12Siehe, das sind die Frevler; die sind glücklich für immer und werden reich.13Soll es denn umsonst sein, dass ich mein Herz rein hielt und meine Hände in Unschuld wasche? (Mal 3,14)14Ich bin täglich geplagt, und meine Züchtigung ist alle Morgen da.15Hätte ich gedacht: Ich will reden wie sie, siehe, dann hätte ich das Geschlecht deiner Kinder verraten.16So sann ich nach, ob ich’s begreifen könnte, aber es war mir zu schwer,17bis ich ging in das Heiligtum Gottes und merkte auf ihr Ende.18Ja, du stellst sie auf schlüpfrigen Grund und stürzest sie zu Boden.19Wie werden sie so plötzlich zunichte! Sie gehen unter und nehmen ein Ende mit Schrecken.20Wie ein Traum verschmäht wird, wenn man erwacht, so verschmähst du, Herr, ihr Bild, wenn du dich erhebst.21Als es mir wehe tat im Herzen und mich stach in meinen Nieren,22da war ich ein Narr und wusste nichts, ich war wie ein Tier vor dir.23Dennoch bleibe ich stets an dir; denn du hältst mich bei meiner rechten Hand, (Röm 8,35)24du leitest mich nach deinem Rat und nimmst mich am Ende mit Ehren an. (Ps 49,16)25Wenn ich nur dich habe, so frage ich nichts nach Himmel und Erde.26Wenn mir gleich Leib und Seele verschmachtet, so bist du doch, Gott, allezeit meines Herzens Trost und mein Teil. (Ps 16,5)27Denn siehe, die von dir weichen, werden umkommen; du bringst um alle, die dir die Treue brechen.28Aber das ist meine Freude, dass ich mich zu Gott halte / und meine Zuversicht setze auf Gott den HERRN, dass ich verkündige all dein Tun.
1God is truly good to Israel. He is good to those who have pure hearts.2But my feet had almost slipped. I had almost tripped and fallen.3I saw that proud and sinful people were doing well. And I began to long for what they had.4They don’t have any troubles. Their bodies are healthy and strong.5They don’t have the problems most people have. They don’t suffer as other people do.6Their pride is like a necklace. They put on meanness as if it were their clothes.7Many sins come out of their hard and stubborn hearts. There is no limit to the evil things they can think up.8They laugh at others and speak words of hatred. They are proud. They warn others about the harm they can do to them.9They boast as if they owned heaven itself. They talk as if they controlled the earth.10So people listen to them. They lap up their words like water.11They say, ‘How would God know what we’re doing? Does the Most High God know anything?’12Here is what sinful people are like. They don’t have a care in the world. They keep getting richer and richer.13It 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.14Day after day I’ve been in pain. God has punished me in a new way every morning.15What if I had talked like that? Then I wouldn’t have been faithful to God’s children.16I tried to understand it all. But it was more than I could handle.17It troubled me until I entered God’s temple. Then I understood what will finally happen to bad people.18God, I’m sure you will make them slip and fall. You will throw them down and destroy them.19It will happen very suddenly. A terrible death will take them away completely.20A 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.21At one time my heart was sad and my spirit was bitter.22I didn’t have any sense. I didn’t know anything. I acted like a wild animal towards you.23But I am always with you. You hold me by my right hand.24You give me wise advice to guide me. And when I die, you will take me away into the glory of heaven.25I don’t have anyone in heaven but you. I don’t want anything on earth besides you.26My body and my heart may grow weak. God, you give strength to my heart. You are everything I will ever need.27Those who don’t want anything to do with you will die. You destroy all those who aren’t faithful to you.28But 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.
1Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. (Ps 24,4; Joh 1,47)2But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped.3For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. (Hi 21,7; Ps 37,1; Ps 37,7; Ps 92,7; Spr 23,17; Jer 12,1)4For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek.5They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind. (Jes 53,4)6Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment. (Ri 8,26; Ps 109,18)7Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies. (Hi 15,27)8They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. (2Petr 2,18; Jud 1,16)9They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth.10Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them.[1] (Hi 15,16)11And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” (Hi 22,13)12Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. (Ps 73,3)13All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. (Hi 34,9; Ps 26,6)14For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning. (Ps 5,1; Ps 101,8; Offb 3,19)15If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed the generation of your children. (Ps 14,5)16But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, (Pred 8,17)17until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. (Ps 20,2; Ps 37,38)18Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. (Ps 35,6)19How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! (4Mo 16,21; Hi 18,11)20Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms. (Hi 20,8; Ps 78,65)21When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart,22I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. (Hi 11,12; Hi 18,3; Ps 49,10)23Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. (Ps 41,12; Ps 63,8)24You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. (Ps 32,8; Ps 49,15)25Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. (Ps 16,2; Phil 3,8)26My 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; Dan 12,3)27For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. (2Mo 34,15; 4Mo 15,39; Ps 106,39; Ps 119,155; Jak 4,4)28But 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; Hebr 10,22; Jak 4,8)