BOOK 3

¹Surely God is good to Israel ,[#73:1 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “” (Elohim).]

to those who are pure in heart .

²But as for me, my feet were almost gone .

My steps had nearly slipped .

³For I was envious of the arrogant ,

when I saw the prosperity of the wicked .

⁴For there are no struggles in their death ,

but their strength is firm .

⁵They are free from burdens of men,

neither are they plagued like other men.

⁶Therefore pride is like a chain around their neck.

Violence covers them like a garment .

⁷Their eyes bulge with fat .

Their minds pass the limits of conceit .

⁸They scoff and speak with malice.

In arrogance, they threaten oppression .

⁹They have set their mouth in the heavens .

Their tongue walks through the earth .

¹⁰Therefore their people return to them ,

and they drink up waters of abundance .

¹¹They say, “How does God know ?

Is there knowledge in the Most High ?”

¹²Behold , these are the wicked .

Being always at ease , they increase in riches .

¹³Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain ,

and washed my hands in innocence ,

¹⁴For all day long I have been plagued ,

and punished every morning .

¹⁵If I had said, “I will speak thus ”,

behold , I would have betrayed the generation of your children .

¹⁶When I tried to understand this ,

it was too painful for me —

¹⁷until I entered God’s sanctuary ,

and considered their latter end.

¹⁸Surely you set them in slippery places .

You throw them down to destruction .

¹⁹How they are suddenly destroyed !

They are completely swept away with terrors .

²⁰As a dream when one wakes up ,

so , Lord, when you awake , you will despise their fantasies.

²¹For my soul was grieved .

I was embittered in my heart .

²²I was so senseless and ignorant .

I was a brute beast before you .

²³Nevertheless, I am continually with you .

You have held my right hand .

²⁴You will guide me with your counsel ,

and afterward receive me to glory .

²⁵Whom do I have in heaven ?

There is no one on earth whom I desire besides you .

²⁶My flesh and my heart fails ,

but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever .

²⁷For , behold , those who are far from you shall perish.

You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to you .

²⁸But it is good for me to come close to God .

I have made the Lord GOD my refuge ,

that I may tell of all your works .