BOOK III

Psalms 73–89

Surely God Is Good to Israel

מִזְמ֗וֹר (A Psalm) לְאָ֫סָ֥ף (of Asaph).

1אַ֤ךְ (Surely) ט֭וֹב (is good) לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל (to Israel) אֱלֹהִ֗ים (God),

לְבָרֵ֥י (to those pure) לֵבָֽב׃ (of heart).

2  וַאֲנִ֗י (And as for me), כִּ֭מְעַט (at a little) נָטוּי (stretching out) רַגְלָ֑י (of my feet);

כְּ֝אַ֗יִן (nearly) שֻׁפְּכָה (had poured out) אֲשֻׁרָֽי׃ (my steps).

3  כִּֽי־ (For) קִ֭נֵּאתִי (I was envious) בַּֽהוֹלְלִ֑ים (of those boasting);

שְׁל֖וֹם (the prosperity) רְשָׁעִ֣ים (of the wicked) אֶרְאֶֽה׃ (I saw).

4  כִּ֤י (For) אֵ֖ין (there are no) חַרְצֻבּ֥וֹת (pangs for them) לְמוֹתָ֗ם (until their death),

וּבָרִ֥יא (and fat) אוּלָֽם׃ (is their body).

5  בַּעֲמַ֣ל (In the trouble) אֱנ֣וֹשׁ (of mankind) אֵינֵ֑מוֹ (They are not),

וְעִם־ (and with) אָ֝דָ֗ם (men) לֹ֣א (not) יְנֻגָּֽעוּ׃ (are they plagued).

6  לָ֭כֵן (Therefore) עֲנָקַ֣תְמוֹ (is their necklace) גַאֲוָ֑ה (pride);

יַעֲטָף־ (evelopes) שִׁ֝֗ית (a garment) חָמָ֥ס (of violence) לָֽמוֹ׃ (for them).

7  יָ֭צָא (Has bulged out) מֵחֵ֣לֶב (from fat) עֵינֵ֑מוֹ (their eye);

עָ֝בְר֗וּ (overflow) מַשְׂכִּיּ֥וֹת (the imaginations) לֵבָֽב׃ (of their heart).

8  יָמִ֤יקוּ׀ (They scoff) וִידַבְּר֣וּ (and speak) בְרָ֣ע (with malice);

עֹ֑שֶׁק (oppression) מִמָּר֥וֹם (from a high place) יְדַבֵּֽרוּ׃ (they speak).

9  שַׁתּ֣וּ (They have set) בַשָּׁמַ֣יִם (in the heavens) פִּיהֶ֑ם (their mouth),

וּ֝לְשׁוֹנָ֗ם (and their tongue) תִּֽהֲלַ֥ךְ (walks) בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ (through the earth).

10  לָכֵ֤ן׀ (Therefore) יָשִׁיב (turn) עַמּ֣וֹ (his people) הֲלֹ֑ם (here),

וּמֵ֥י (and waters) מָ֝לֵ֗א (of fullness) יִמָּ֥צוּ (are wrung out) לָֽמוֹ׃ (for them).

11  וְֽאָמְר֗וּ (And they say), אֵיכָ֥ה (How) יָדַֽע־ (can know) אֵ֑ל (God)?

וְיֵ֖שׁ (And is there) דֵּעָ֣ה (knowledge) בְעֶלְיֽוֹן׃ (in the Most High)?

12  הִנֵּה־ (Behold), אֵ֥לֶּה (these are) רְשָׁעִ֑ים (the wicked who)—

וְשַׁלְוֵ֥י (and at ease) ע֝וֹלָ֗ם (always); הִשְׂגּוּ־ (they have increased) חָֽיִל׃ (in wealth).

13  אַךְ־ (Surely) רִ֭יק (in vain) זִכִּ֣יתִי (I have cleansed) לְבָבִ֑י (my heart),

וָאֶרְחַ֖ץ (and I have washed) בְּנִקָּי֣וֹן (in innocence) כַּפָּֽי׃ (my hands).

14  וָאֱהִ֣י (And for I have been) נָ֭גוּעַ (stricken) כָּל־ (all) הַיּ֑וֹם (the day)

וְ֝תוֹכַחְתִּ֗י (and chastened) לַבְּקָרִֽים׃ (in the morning).

15  אִם־ (If) אָ֭מַרְתִּי (I had said), אֲסַפְּרָ֥ה (I will speak) כְמ֑וֹ (like this),

הִנֵּ֤ה (then behold), ד֭וֹר (the generation) בָּנֶ֣יךָ (of Your sons) בָגָֽדְתִּי׃ (I would have betrayed).

16  וָֽ֭אֲחַשְּׁבָה (And I thought) לָדַ֣עַת (to know) זֹ֑את (this),

עָמָ֖ל (toil) הִיא (it was) בְעֵינָֽי׃ (in my eyes).

17  עַד־ (Until) אָ֭בוֹא (I came) אֶל־ (to) מִקְדְּשֵׁי־ (the sanctuary) אֵ֑ל (of God);

אָ֝בִ֗ינָה (and discerned) לְאַחֲרִיתָֽם׃ (their end).

18  אַ֣ךְ (Surely) בַּ֭חֲלָקוֹת (on slick ground) תָּשִׁ֣ית (You set) לָ֑מוֹ (them);

הִ֝פַּלְתָּ֗ם (You make them fall) לְמַשּׁוּאֽוֹת׃ (to destruction).

19  אֵ֤יךְ (How) הָי֣וּ (they have become) לְשַׁמָּ֣ה (a desolation), כְרָ֑גַע (in a moment)!

סָ֥פוּ (They are swept away) תַ֝֗מּוּ (completely) מִן־ (by) בַּלָּהֽוֹת׃ (terrors).

20  כַּחֲל֥וֹם (As a dream) מֵהָקִ֑יץ (from awakening),

אֲ֝דֹנָי (O Lord), בָּעִ֤יר׀ (in rousing Yourself) צַלְמָ֬ם (their image) תִּבְזֶֽה׃ (You shall despise).

21  כִּ֭י (For) יִתְחַמֵּ֣ץ (had grown sour) לְבָבִ֑י (my heart),

וְ֝כִלְיוֹתַ֗י (and my kidneys) אֶשְׁתּוֹנָֽן׃ (pierce themselves).

22  וַאֲנִי־ (And I was) בַ֭עַר (brutish) וְלֹ֣א (and not) אֵדָ֑ע (could I know);

בְּ֝הֵמ֗וֹת (a beast) הָיִ֥יתִי (I was) עִמָּֽךְ׃ (before You).

23  וַאֲנִ֣י (And I am) תָמִ֣יד (always) עִמָּ֑ךְ (with You);

אָ֝חַ֗זְתָּ (You hold) בְּיַד־ (hand) יְמִינִֽי׃ (my right).

24  בַּעֲצָתְךָ֥ (With Your counsel) תַנְחֵ֑נִי (may You lead me),

וְ֝אַחַ֗ר (and afterward) כָּב֥וֹד (in glory) תִּקָּחֵֽנִי׃ (You will receive me).

25  מִי־ (Who is) לִ֥י (unto me) בַשָּׁמָ֑יִם (in the heavens),

וְ֝עִמְּךָ֗ (and besides You) לֹא־ (not) חָפַ֥צְתִּי (do I take delight) בָאָֽרֶץ׃ (on the earth).

26  כָּלָ֥ה (May be consumed) שְׁאֵרִ֗י (my flesh) וּלְבָ֫בִ֥י (and my heart);

צוּר־ (the rock) לְבָבִ֥י (of my heart) וְחֶלְקִ֗י (and my portion)

אֱלֹהִ֥ים (is God) לְעוֹלָֽם׃ (to the age).

27  כִּֽי־ (For), הִנֵּ֣ה (behold), רְחֵקֶ֣יךָ (those who are far from You) יֹאבֵ֑דוּ (will perish);

הִ֝צְמַ֗תָּה (You destroy) כָּל־ (everyone) זוֹנֶ֥ה (prostituting himself) מִמֶּֽךָּ׃ (from You).

28  וַאֲנִ֤י׀ (And I)— קִֽרֲבַ֥ת (the nearness) אֱלֹהִ֗ים (of God) לִ֫י־ (for me) ט֥וֹב (is good);

שַׁתִּ֤י׀ (I have placed) בַּאדֹנָ֣י (in the Lord) יְהֹוִ֣ה (YHWH) מַחְסִ֑י (my refuge),

לְ֝סַפֵּ֗ר (to recount) כָּל־ (all) מַלְאֲכוֹתֶֽיךָ׃ (Your works).