Passage

Psalms 73

Book: Psalms · NASB95

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"1. ^{A Psalm of Asaph.} Surely God is good to Israel, Even to such as are pure in heart. 2. But as for me, my feet were almost gone; My steps had well nigh slipped. 3. For I was envious at the arrogant, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4. For there are no pangs in their death; But their strength is firm. 5. They are not in trouble as other men; Neither are they plagued like other men. 6. Therefore pride is as a chain about their neck; Violence covereth them as a garment. 7. Their eyes stand out with fatness: They have more than heart could wish. 8. They scoff, and in wickedness utter oppression: They speak loftily. 9. They have set their mouth in the heavens, And their tongue walketh through the earth. 10. Therefore his people return hither: And waters of a full cup are drained by them. 11. And they say, How doth God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High? 12. Behold, these are the wicked; And, being alway at ease, they increase in riches. 13. Surely in vain have I cleansed my heart, And washed my hands in innocency; 14. For all the day long have I been plagued, And chastened every morning. 15. If I had said, I will speak thus; Behold, I had dealt treacherously with the generation of thy children. 16. When I thought how I might know this, It was too painful for me; 17. Until I went into the sanctuary of God, And considered their latter end. 18. Surely thou settest them in slippery places: Thou castest them down to destruction. 19. How are they become a desolation in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors. 20. As a dream when one awaketh, So, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou wilt despise their image. 21. For my soul was grieved, And I was pricked in my heart: 22. So brutish was I, and ignorant; I was as a beast before thee. 23. Nevertheless I am continually with thee: Thou hast holden my right hand. 24. Thou wilt guide me with thy counsel, And afterward receive me to glory. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee. 26. My flesh and my heart faileth; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever. 27. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: Thou hast destroyed all them that play the harlot, departing from thee. 28. But it is good for me to draw near unto God: I have made the Lord Jehovah my refuge, That I may tell of all thy works." (Psalms 73:1-28, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"1. A Psalm by Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. 2. But as for me, my feet were almost gone. My steps had nearly slipped. 3. For I was envious of the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4. For there are no struggles in their death, but their strength is firm. 5. They are free from burdens of men, neither are they plagued like other men. 6. Therefore pride is like a chain around their neck. Violence covers them like a garment. 7. Their eyes bulge with fat. Their minds pass the limits of conceit. 8. They scoff and speak with malice. In arrogance, they threaten oppression. 9. They have set their mouth in the heavens. Their tongue walks through the earth. 10. Therefore their people return to them, and they drink up waters of abundance. 11. They say, “How does God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” 12. Behold, these are the wicked. Being always at ease, they increase in riches. 13. Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence, 14. For all day long I have been plagued, and punished every morning. 15. If I had said, “I will speak thus”; behold, I would have betrayed the generation of your children. 16. When I tried to understand this, it was too painful for me; 17. Until I entered God’s sanctuary, and considered their latter end. 18. Surely you set them in slippery places. You throw them down to destruction. 19. How they are suddenly destroyed! They are completely swept away with terrors. 20. As a dream when one wakes up, so, Lord, when you awake, you will despise their fantasies. 21. For my soul was grieved. I was embittered in my heart. 22. I was so senseless and ignorant. I was a brute beast before you. 23. Nevertheless, I am continually with you. You have held my right hand. 24. You will guide me with your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. 25. Whom do I have in heaven? There is no one on earth whom I desire besides you. 26. My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 27. For, behold, those who are far from you shall perish. You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to you. 28. But it is good for me to come close to God. I have made the Lord Yahweh my refuge, that I may tell of all your works." (Psalms 73:1-28, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"1. A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. ^{of: or, for} ^{Truly: or, Yet} ^{of: Heb. clean of heart} 2. But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. 3. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4. For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. ^{firm: Heb. fat} 5. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. ^{in: Heb. in the trouble of other men} ^{like: Heb. with} 6. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. 7. Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. ^{have: Heb. pass the thoughts of the heart} 8. They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. 9. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. 10. Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. 11. And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? 12. Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. 13. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. 14. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. ^{chastened: Heb. my chastisement was} 15. If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. 16. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; ^{too: Heb. labour in mine eyes} 17. Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. 18. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. 19. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. 20. As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image. 21. Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins. 22. So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. ^{ignorant: Heb. I knew not} ^{before Heb. with} 23. Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. 24. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. 26. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. ^{strength: Heb. rock} 27. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. 28. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works." (Psalms 73:1-28, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"1. A Psalm of Asaph. Only, good to Israel [is] God, to the clean of heart. And I, as a little thing, My feet have been turned aside, 2. As nothing, have my steps slipped, For I have been envious of the boastful, 3. The peace of the wicked I see, That there are no bands at their death, 4. And their might [is] firm. 5. In the misery of mortals they are not, And with common men they are not plagued. 6. Therefore hath pride encircled them, Violence covereth them as a dress. 7. Their eye hath come out from fat. The imaginations of the heart transgressed; 8. They do corruptly, And they speak in the wickedness of oppression, From on high they speak. 9. They have set in the heavens their mouth, And their tongue walketh in the earth. 10. Therefore do His people return hither, And waters of fulness are wrung out to them. 11. And they have said, 'How hath God known? And is there knowledge in the Most High?' 12. Lo, these [are] the wicked and easy ones of the age, They have increased strength. 13. Only, a vain thing! I have purified my heart, And I wash in innocency my hands, 14. And I am plagued all the day, And my reproof [is] every morning. 15. If I have said, 'I recount thus,' Lo, a generation of Thy sons I have deceived. 16. And I think to know this, Perverseness it [is] in mine eyes, 17. Till I come in to the sanctuaries of God, I attend to their latter end. 18. Only, in slippery places Thou dost set them, Thou hast caused them to fall to desolations. 19. How have they become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended, consumed from terrors. 20. As a dream from awakening, O Lord, In awaking, their image Thou despisest. 21. For my heart doth show itself violent, And my reins prick themselves, 22. And I am brutish, and do not know. A beast I have been with Thee. 23. And I [am] continually with Thee, Thou hast laid hold on my right hand. 24. With Thy counsel Thou dost lead me, And after honour dost receive me. 25. Whom have I in the heavens? And with Thee none I have desired in earth. 26. Consumed hath been my flesh and my heart, The rock of my heart and my portion [is] God to the age. 27. For, lo, those far from Thee do perish, Thou hast cut off every one, Who is going a whoring from Thee. 28. And I, nearness of God to me [is] good, I have placed in the Lord Jehovah my refuge, To recount all Thy works!" (Psalms 73:1-28, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: TBD
Audience: TBD
Location: TBD
Time period: TBD

Theological reading

Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.

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Quoted in

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.