Psaumes 72

¹ A Psalm for Asaph. How good is God to Israel, to the upright in heart !

² But my feet were almost overthrown ; my goings very nearly slipped.

³ For I was jealous of the transgressors, beholding the tranquillity of sinners.

⁴ For there is no sign of reluctance in their death : and they have firmness under their affliction.

⁵ They are not in the troubles of other men ; and they shall not be scourged with other men.

⁶ Therefore pride has possessed them ; they have clothed themselves with their injustice and ungodliness.

⁷ Their injustice shall go forth as out of fatness : they have fulfilled their intention.

⁸ They have taken counsel and spoken in wickedness : they have uttered unrighteousness loftily.

⁹ They have set their mouth against heaven, and their tongue has gone through upon the earth.

¹⁰ Therefore shall my people return hither : and full days shall be found with them. Notesn1 Gr. in.

¹¹ And they said, How does God know ? and is there knowledge in the Most High ? Notesn1 Gr. if there is.

¹² Behold, these are the sinners, and they that prosper always : they have possessed wealth.

¹³ And I said, Verily in vain have I justified my heart, and washed my hands in innocency.

¹⁴ For I was plagued all the day, and my reproof was every morning.

¹⁵ If I said, I will speak thus ; behold, I should have broken covenant with the generation of thy children.

¹⁶ And I undertook to understand this, but it is too hard for me,

¹⁷ until I go into the sanctuary of God ; and so understand the latter end.

¹⁸ Surely thou hast appointed judgments to them because of their crafty dealings : thou hast cast them down when they were lifted up.

¹⁹ How have they become desolate ! suddenly they have failed : they have perished because of their iniquity.

²⁰ As the dream of one awakening, O Lord, in thy city thou wilt despise their image.

²¹ For my heart has rejoiced, and my reins have been gladdened. Notesn1 Gr. changed.

²² But I was vile and knew not : I became brutish before thee.

²³ Yet I am continually with thee : thou hast holden my right hand.

²⁴ Thou hast guided me by thy counsel, and thou hast taken me to thyself with glory.

²⁵ For what have I in heaven but thee ? and what have I desired upon the earth beside thee ?

²⁶ My heart and my flesh have failed : but God is the strength of my heart, and God is my portion for ever.

²⁷ For, behold, they that remove themselves far from thee shall perish : thou hast destroyed every one that goes a whoring from thee.

²⁸ But it is good for me to cleave close to God, to put my trust in the Lord ; that I may proclaim all thy praises in the gates of the daughter of Sion.