Psalm 73
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
73 Understanding for Asaph. O God, why hast thou cast us off unto the end: why is thy wrath enkindled against the sheep of thy pasture?
2 Remember thy congregation, which thou hast possessed from the beginning. The sceptre of thy inheritance which thou hast redeemed: mount Sion in which thou hast dwelt.
3 Lift up thy hands against their pride unto the end; see what things the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.
4 And they that hate thee have made their boasts, in the midst of thy solemnity. They have set up their ensigns for signs,
5 And they knew not both in the going out and on the highest top. As with axes in a wood of trees,
6 They have cut down at once the gates thereof, with axe and hatchet they have brought it down.
7 They have set fire to thy sanctuary: they have defiled the dwelling place of thy name on the earth.
8 They said in their heart, the whole kindred of them together: Let us abolish all the festival days of God from the land.
9 Our signs we have not seen, there is now no prophet: and he will know us no more.
10 How long, O God, shall the enemy reproach: is the adversary to provoke thy name for ever?
11 Why dost thou turn away thy hand: and thy right hand out of the midst of thy bosom for ever?
12 But God is our king before ages: he hath wrought salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 Thou by thy strength didst make the sea firm: thou didst crush the heads of the dragons in the waters.
14 Thou hast broken the heads of the dragon: thou hast given him to be meat for the people of the Ethiopians.
15 Thou hast broken up the fountains and the torrents: thou hast dried up the Ethan rivers.
16 Thine is the day, and thine is the night: thou hast made the morning light and the sun.
17 Thou hast made all the borders of the earth: the summer and the spring were formed by thee.
18 Remember this, the enemy hath reproached the Lord: and a foolish people hath provoked thy name.
19 Deliver not up to beasts the souls that confess to thee: and forget not to the end the souls of thy poor.
20 Have regard to thy covenant: for they that are the obscure of the earth have been filled with dwellings of iniquity.
21 Let not the humble be turned away with confusion: the poor and needy shall praise thy name.
22 Arise, O God, judge thy own cause: remember thy reproaches with which the foolish man hath reproached thee all the day.
23 Forget not the voices of thy enemies: the pride of them that hate thee ascendeth continually.
Psalm 73
New International Version
BOOK III
Psalms 73–89
Psalm 73
A psalm of Asaph.
1 Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.(A)
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;(B)
I had nearly lost my foothold.(C)
3 For I envied(D) the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.(E)
4 They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.[a]
5 They are free(F) from common human burdens;
they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride(G) is their necklace;(H)
they clothe themselves with violence.(I)
7 From their callous hearts(J) comes iniquity[b];
their evil imaginations have no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice;(K)
with arrogance(L) they threaten oppression.(M)
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.[c]
11 They say, “How would God know?
Does the Most High know anything?”
13 Surely in vain(P) I have kept my heart pure
and have washed my hands in innocence.(Q)
14 All day long I have been afflicted,(R)
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(S) all this,
it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary(T) of God;
then I understood their final destiny.(U)
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;(V)
you cast them down to ruin.(W)
19 How suddenly(X) are they destroyed,
completely swept away(Y) by terrors!
20 They are like a dream(Z) when one awakes;(AA)
when you arise, Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.(AB)
21 When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless(AC) and ignorant;
I was a brute beast(AD) before you.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.(AE)
24 You guide(AF) me with your counsel,(AG)
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?(AH)
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.(AI)
26 My flesh and my heart(AJ) may fail,(AK)
but God is the strength(AL) of my heart
and my portion(AM) forever.
Footnotes
- Psalm 73:4 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text struggles at their death; / their bodies are healthy
- Psalm 73:7 Syriac (see also Septuagint); Hebrew Their eyes bulge with fat
- Psalm 73:10 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
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