Psalms 73
73
A psalm of Asaph.
1Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose minds#73:1. Literally, “hearts.” In Hebrew understanding the heart was where thinking was done. are pure.
2But I was stumbling, my feet were starting to slide,#73:2. The psalmist is indicating he was losing faith.
3because I was jealous of self-important people—I saw how well the wicked were doing.
4They don't ever seem to get sick; they are strong and healthy.
5They don't have problems like other people; they don't get hit by disasters like everybody else.
6They wear their pride like a necklace; they clothe themselves with violence.
7Their eyes bulge out because they're so fat; their minds are full of selfish vanity.#73:7. Or “from their evil hearts pours out iniquity.”
8They mock people, and speak maliciously; they arrogantly threaten cruelty.
9They talk irreverently against heaven above, and defame people here on earth.
10As a result people turn to them and drink in everything they say.#73:10. The Hebrew text is hard to understand: “Therefore he brings back his people here and abundant waters are drained by them.”
11“God won't find out,” they say. “The Most High doesn't even know what's going on!”
12Look at these wicked people! They don't have a care in the world, and they're always making money!
13It's been pointless to keep my mind pure and my hands clean.
14I'm cursed with suffering all day long; every morning I'm punished.
15If I'd talked like this to others,#73:15. Referring back to what the wicked said in verse 11. I would have betrayed your people.
16So I thought about it and tried to understand,#73:16. The psalmist is trying to understand why the wicked prosper. but it looked like a lot of hard work to me—
17until I went into God's Temple. Then I understood what happens to the wicked in the end.
18For you send them on a slippery path; you throw them down to destruction.
19How quickly they're destroyed! They come to a terrifying end.
20Like waking up from a dream, Lord—when you get up you will forget all about them!
21At that time my thoughts were bitter. I felt like I had been stabbed.
22I was stupid and ignorant. I was like a brute beast to you.
23Yet I'm always with you; you hold me by the hand.
24You tell me what to do; and ultimately you will welcome me in glory.
25Who is there in heaven for me except you? And I want nothing on earth except you.
26My body and my mind may fail, but God is the foundation of my life. He is mine forever!
27Those people who are far from God will die. You destroy all those unfaithful to you.
28But I love to stay close to God! I have chosen the Lord God to protect me. I will share all that you have done.
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Psalms 73: FBV
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com