Psalm 73

¹Surely God is good to Israel, 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.