Psalms 73

¹The title of the thre and seuentithe salm. The lernyng of Asaph. God, whi hast thou put awei in to the ende; thi strong veniaunce is wrooth on the scheep of thi leesewe?

²Be thou myndeful of thi gadering togidere; which thou haddist in possessioun fro the bigynnyng. Thou ayenbouytist the yerde of thin eritage; the hille of Syon in which thou dwellidist ther ynne.

³Reise thin hondis in to the prides of hem; hou grete thingis the enemy dide wickidli in the hooli.

⁴And thei that hatiden thee; hadden glorie in the myddis of thi solempnete.

⁵Thei settiden her signes, `ethir baneris, signes on the hiyeste, as in the outgoing; and thei knewen not.

⁶As in a wode of trees thei heweden doun with axis the yatis therof in to it silf; thei castiden doun it with an ax, and a brood fallinge ax.

⁷Thei brenten with fier thi seyntuarie; thei defouliden the tabernacle of thi name in erthe.

⁸The kynrede of hem seiden togidere in her herte; Make we alle the feest daies of God to ceesse fro the erthe.

⁹We han not seyn oure signes, now `no profete is; and he schal no more knowe vs.

¹⁰God, hou long schal the enemye seie dispit? the aduersarie territh to ire thi name in to the ende.

¹¹Whi turnest thou awei thin hoond, and `to drawe out thi riythond fro the myddis of thi bosum, til in to the ende?

¹²Forsothe God oure kyng bifore worldis; wrouyte heelthe in the mydis of erthe.

¹³Thou madist sad the see bi thi vertu; thou hast troblid the heedis of dragouns in watris.

¹⁴Thou hast broke the heedis of `the dragoun; thou hast youe hym to mete to the puplis of Ethiopiens.

¹⁵Thou hast broke wellis, and strondis; thou madist drie the flodis of Ethan.

¹⁶The dai is thin, and the niyt is thin; thou madist the moreutid and the sunne.

¹⁷Thou madist alle the endis of erthe; somer and veer tyme, thou fourmedist tho.

¹⁸Be thou myndeful of this thing, the enemye hath seid schenschip to the Lord; and the vnwijs puple hath excitid to ire thi name.

¹⁹Bitake thou not to beestis men knoulechenge to thee; and foryete thou not in to the ende the soulis of thi pore men.

²⁰Biholde in to thi testament; for thei that ben maad derk of erthe, ben fillid with the housis of wickidnessis.

²¹A meke man be not turned awei maad aschamed; a pore man and nedi schulen herie thi name.

²²God, rise vp, deme thou thi cause; be thou myndeful of thin vpbreidyngis, of tho that ben al dai of the vnwise man.

²³Foryete thou not the voices of thin enemyes; the pride of hem that haten thee, stieth euere.

Psalms 73

¹Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.

²But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.

³For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

⁴For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.

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

⁶Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.

⁷Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.

⁸They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.

⁹They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.

¹⁰Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.

¹¹And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?

¹²Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.

¹³Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.

¹⁴For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.

¹⁵If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.

¹⁶When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;

¹⁷Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.

¹⁸Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.

¹⁹How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

²⁰As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.

²¹Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.

²²So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.

²³Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.

²⁴Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

²⁵Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.

²⁶My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

²⁷For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.

²⁸But 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.