1 ¶ Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are pure in heart.

A Psalm of Asaph. Only -- good to Israel God, to the clean of heart. And I -- as a little thing, My feet have been turned aside,

2 B ut as for me, my feet almost departed from the way; my steps had almost slipped.

As nothing, have my steps slipped, For I have been envious of the boastful,

3 F or I became angry against the foolish when I saw the peace of the wicked.

The peace of the wicked I see, That there are no bands at their death,

4 B ecause there is no restraint that would bring about their death, but their strength is firm.

And their might firm.

5 T hey are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.

In the misery of mortals they are not, And with common men they are not plagued.

6 T herefore they are crowned with pride; they cover themselves with violence as a garment.

Therefore hath pride encircled them, Violence covereth them as a dress.

7 T heir eyes stand out with fatness; they easily obtain the desires of their heart.

Their eye hath come out from fat. The imaginations of the heart transgressed;

8 T hey are lawless and speak wickedly of doing violence; they speak loftily.

They do corruptly, And they speak in the wickedness of oppression, From on high they speak.

9 T hey set their mouth against heaven, and their tongue walks through the earth.

They have set in the heavens their mouth, And their tongue walketh in the earth.

10 T herefore his people shall return here; and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.

Therefore do His people return hither, And waters of fulness are wrung out to them.

11 A nd they say, How does God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?

And they have said, `How hath God known? And is there knowledge in the Most High?'

12 B ehold, these ungodly men, without being troubled by the world obtain riches.

Lo, these the wicked and easy ones of the age, They have increased strength.

13 V erily, in vain have I cleansed my heart and washed my hands in innocency

Only -- a vain thing! I have purified my heart, And I wash in innocency my hands,

14 a nd been plagued all day long and chastened every morning:

And I am plagued all the day, And my reproof every morning.

15 ¶ If I should say, I will speak as they do; behold, I should deny the generation of thy sons.

If I have said, `I recount thus,' Lo, a generation of Thy sons I have deceived.

16 I shall meditate that I might understand this; it is very hard for me to see.

And I think to know this, Perverseness it in mine eyes,

17 W hen I come into the sanctuary of God, then I shall understand their end.

Till I come in to the sanctuaries of God, I attend to their latter end.

18 S urely thou didst set them in slippery places; in desolation thou shalt cause them to fall.

Only, in slippery places Thou dost set them, Thou hast caused them to fall to desolations.

19 H ow they are brought into desolation, as in a moment! They have come to an end; they are utterly consumed with terrors.

How have they become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended -- consumed from terrors.

20 A s the dream of one who awakes; so, O Lord, when thou shalt rise up, thou shalt despise their appearances.

As a dream from awakening, O Lord, In awaking, their image Thou despisest.

21 ¶ Truly my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my kidneys.

For my heart doth show itself violent, And my reins prick themselves,

22 B ut I was ignorant and did not understand; I was as a beast before thee.

And I am brutish, and do not know. A beast I have been with Thee.

23 N evertheless I was continually with thee; thou hast apprehended me by my right hand.

And I continually with Thee, Thou hast laid hold on my right hand.

24 T hou hast guided me with thy counsel, and afterward thou shalt receive me unto glory.

With Thy counsel Thou dost lead me, And after honour dost receive me.

25 W hom have I in heaven but thee? And apart from thee there is nothing upon the earth that I desire.

Whom have I in the heavens? And with Thee none I have desired in earth.

26 M y flesh and my heart fail; the strength of my heart is that God is my portion for ever.

Consumed hath been my flesh and my heart, The rock of my heart and my portion God to the age.

27 F or, behold, those that stray from thee shall perish; thou dost cut off all those that go a whoring from thee.

For, lo, those far from Thee do perish, Thou hast cut off every one, Who is going a whoring from Thee.

28 B ut as for me, to draw near to God is good; I have put my hope in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.

And I -- nearness of God to me good, I have placed in the Lord Jehovah my refuge, To recount all Thy works!