BOOK THREE: Psalms 73—89 The Tragedy of the Wicked, and the Blessedness of Trust in God
A Psalm of Asaph.
1 Truly God
is good to Israel,
To such as are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
My steps had nearly
a slipped.
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3 a For I
was envious of the boastful,
When I saw the prosperity of the
b wicked.
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4 For
there are no
1 pangs in their death,
But their strength
is firm.
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5 a They
are not in trouble
as other men,
Nor are they plagued like
other men.
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6 Therefore pride serves as their necklace;
Violence covers them
a like a garment.
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7 a Their
1 eyes bulge with abundance;
They have more than heart could wish.
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8 a They scoff and speak wickedly
concerning oppression;
They
b speak loftily.
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9 They set their mouth
a against the heavens,
And their tongue walks through the earth.
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10 Therefore his people return here,
a And waters of a full
cup are drained by them.
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11 And they say,
a “How does God know?
And is there knowledge in the Most High?”
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12 Behold, these
are the ungodly,
Who are always at ease;
They increase
in riches.
13 Surely I have
1 cleansed my heart
in a vain,
And washed my hands in innocence.
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14 For all day long I have been plagued,
And chastened every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.
16 When I thought
how to understand this,
It
was1 too painful for me—
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17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their
a end.
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18 Surely
a You set them in slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
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19 Oh, how they are
brought to desolation, as in a moment!
They are utterly consumed with terrors.
New King James Version®, Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
