1 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,

For sure God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

2 A s nothing, have my steps slipped, For I have been envious of the boastful,

But as for me, my feet came close to falling. My steps had almost tripped.

3 T he peace of the wicked I see, That there are no bands at their death,

For I was jealous of the proud when I saw that all was going well with the sinful.

4 A nd their might firm.

For they suffer no pain in their death, and their body is fat.

5 I n the misery of mortals they are not, And with common men they are not plagued.

They do not have the troubles of other men or suffer like other men.

6 T herefore hath pride encircled them, Violence covereth them as a dress.

So they wear pride around their neck. Fighting covers them like a coat.

7 T heir eye hath come out from fat. The imaginations of the heart transgressed;

They are so fat that their eyes are pushed out. The crazy thoughts of their hearts run wild.

8 T hey do corruptly, And they speak in the wickedness of oppression, From on high they speak.

They laugh at the truth, and speak sinful things about making it hard for others. They speak from a high place.

9 T hey have set in the heavens their mouth, And their tongue walketh in the earth.

They say bad things against heaven, and their tongue walks through the earth.

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

And so his people return to this place and drink water from a full cup.

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

They say, “How does God know? Is there much learning with the Most High?”

12 L o, these the wicked and easy ones of the age, They have increased strength.

See, this is what the sinful are like. They always have it easy and their riches grow.

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

For no good reason I have kept my heart pure and have not sinned.

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

For I have suffered all day long. I have been punished every morning.

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

I would not have been true to Your children if I had spoken this way.

16 A nd I think to know this, Perverseness it in mine eyes,

It was too hard for me when I tried to understand this,

17 T ill I come in to the sanctuaries of God, I attend to their latter end.

until I went into the holy place of God. Then I understood their end.

18 O nly, in slippery places Thou dost set them, Thou hast caused them to fall to desolations.

For sure, You set the sinful in places where there is danger at every step. You throw them down to be destroyed.

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

How they are destroyed right away! They come to an end with much fear.

20 A s a dream from awakening, O Lord, In awaking, their image Thou despisest.

Like a dream when one wakes up, so You will hate what they look like when You rise up, O Lord.

21 F or my heart doth show itself violent, And my reins prick themselves,

My heart was troubled and I was hurt inside.

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

I was without reason and did not know better. I was like an animal before You.

23 A nd I continually with Thee, Thou hast laid hold on my right hand.

Yet I am always with You. You hold me by my right hand.

24 W ith Thy counsel Thou dost lead me, And after honour dost receive me.

You will lead me by telling me what I should do. And after this, You will bring me into shining-greatness.

25 W hom have I in the heavens? And with Thee none I have desired in earth.

Whom have I in heaven but You? I want nothing more on earth, but You.

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

My body and my heart may grow weak, but God is the strength of my heart and all I need forever.

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

For, see, those who are far from You will be lost from You forever. You have destroyed all those who are not faithful to You.

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

But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Lord God my safe place. So I may tell of all the things You have done.