Psalms 73

Authored by: Traditional
73:1
מִזְמוֹר לְאָסָף אַךְ טוֹב לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֱלֹהִים לְבָרֵי לֵבָב׃
A Psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, even to such as are pure in heart.
2
73:2
וַאֲנִי כִּמְעַט נטוי [נָטָיוּ] רַגְלָי כְּאַיִן שפכה [שֻׁפְּכוּ] אֲשֻׁרָי׃
But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
1
73:3
כִּי־קִנֵּאתִי בַּהוֹלְלִים שְׁלוֹם רְשָׁעִים אֶרְאֶה׃
For I was envious at the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
1
73:4
כִּי אֵין חַרְצֻבּוֹת לְמוֹתָם וּבָרִיא אוּלָם׃
For there are no pangs at their death, and their body is sound.
1
73:5
בַּעֲמַל אֱנוֹשׁ אֵינֵמוֹ וְעִם־אָדָם לֹא יְנֻגָּעוּ׃
In the trouble of man they are not; neither are they plagued like men.
73:6
לָכֵן עֲנָקַתְמוֹ גַאֲוָה יַעֲטָף־שִׁית חָמָס לָמוֹ׃
Therefore pride is as a chain about their neck; violence covereth them as a garment.
1
73:7
יָצָא מֵחֵלֶב עֵינֵמוֹ עָבְרוּ מַשְׂכִּיּוֹת לֵבָב׃
Their eyes stand forth from fatness; they are gone beyond the imaginations of their heart.
1
73:8
יָמִיקוּ וִידַבְּרוּ בְרָע עֹשֶׁק מִמָּרוֹם יְדַבֵּרוּ׃
They scoff, and in wickedness utter oppression; they speak as if there were none on high.
1
73:9
שַׁתּוּ בַשָּׁמַיִם פִּיהֶם וּלְשׁוֹנָם תִּהֲלַךְ בָּאָרֶץ׃
They have set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue walketh through the earth.
73:10
לָכֵן ישיב [יָשׁוּב] עַמּוֹ הֲלֹם וּמֵי מָלֵא יִמָּצוּ לָמוֹ׃
Therefore His people return hither; And waters of fullness are drained out by them.
1
73:11
וְאָמְרוּ אֵיכָה יָדַע־אֵל וְיֵשׁ דֵּעָה בְעֶלְיוֹן׃
And they say: 'How doth God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?'
1
73:12
הִנֵּה־אֵלֶּה רְשָׁעִים וְשַׁלְוֵי עוֹלָם הִשְׂגּוּ־חָיִל׃
Behold, such are the wicked; And they that are always at ease increase riches.
1
73:13
אַךְ־רִיק זִכִּיתִי לְבָבִי וָאֶרְחַץ בְּנִקָּיוֹן כַּפָּי׃
Surely in vain have I cleansed my heart, And washed my hands in innocency;
1
73:14
וָאֱהִי נָגוּעַ כָּל־הַיּוֹם וְתוֹכַחְתִּי לַבְּקָרִים׃
For all the day have I been plagued, And my chastisement came every morning.
1
73:15
אִם־אָמַרְתִּי אֲסַפְּרָה כְמוֹ הִנֵּה דוֹר בָּנֶיךָ בָגָדְתִּי׃
If I had said: 'I will speak thus', Behold, I had been faithless to the generation of Thy children.
1
73:16
וָאֲחַשְּׁבָה לָדַעַת זֹאת עָמָל היא [הוּא] בְעֵינָי׃
And when I pondered how I might know this, It was wearisome in mine eyes;
1
73:17
עַד־אָבוֹא אֶל־מִקְדְּשֵׁי־אֵל אָבִינָה לְאַחֲרִיתָם׃
Until I entered into the sanctuary of God, And considered their end.
1
73:18
אַךְ בַּחֲלָקוֹת תָּשִׁית לָמוֹ הִפַּלְתָּם לְמַשּׁוּאוֹת׃
Surely Thou settest them in slippery places; Thou hurlest them down to utter ruin.
1
73:19
אֵיךְ הָיוּ לְשַׁמָּה כְרָגַע סָפוּ תַמּוּ מִן־בַּלָּהוֹת׃
How are they become a desolation in a moment! They are wholly consumed by terrors.
1
73:20
כַּחֲלוֹם מֵהָקִיץ אֲדֹנָי בָּעִיר צַלְמָם תִּבְזֶה׃
As a dream when one awaketh, So, O Lord, when Thou arousest Thyself, Thou wilt despise their semblance.
1
73:21
כִּי יִתְחַמֵּץ לְבָבִי וְכִלְיוֹתַי אֶשְׁתּוֹנָן׃
For my heart was in a ferment, And I was pricked in my reins. .
1
73:22
וַאֲנִי־בַעַר וְלֹא אֵדָע בְּהֵמוֹת הָיִיתִי עִמָּךְ׃
But I was brutish, and ignorant; I was as a beast before Thee.
1
73:23
וַאֲנִי תָמִיד עִמָּךְ אָחַזְתָּ בְּיַד־יְמִינִי׃
Nevertheless I am continually with Thee; Thou holdest my right hand.
1
73:24
בַּעֲצָתְךָ תַנְחֵנִי וְאַחַר כָּבוֹד תִּקָּחֵנִי׃
Thou wilt guide me with Thy counsel, And afterward receive me with glory.
1
73:25
מִי־לִי בַשָּׁמָיִם וְעִמְּךָ לֹא־חָפַצְתִּי בָאָרֶץ׃
Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And beside Thee I desire none upon earth.
1
73:26
כָּלָה שְׁאֵרִי וּלְבָבִי צוּר־לְבָבִי וְחֶלְקִי אֱלֹהִים לְעוֹלָם׃
My flesh and my heart faileth; But God is the rock of my heart and my portion for ever.
1
73:27
כִּי־הִנֵּה רְחֵקֶיךָ יֹאבֵדוּ הִצְמַתָּה כָּל־זוֹנֶה מִמֶּךָּ׃
For, lo, they that go far from Thee shall perish; Thou dost destroy all them that go astray from Thee.
1
73:28
וַאֲנִי קִרֲבַת אֱלֹהִים לִי־טוֹב שַׁתִּי בַּאדֹנָי יְהֹוִה מַחְסִי לְסַפֵּר כָּל־מַלְאֲכוֹתֶיךָ׃
But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Thy works.
1
1
@Shabbos_Shredder_

Resolved in the sanctuary, not by logic

Asaph opens Book III by admitting his feet 'were almost gone' when he saw the wicked prospering while he suffered despite trying to live rightly. Why does he only find resolution 'when I went into the sanctuary of God,' rather than through pure reaso...

Theological
1
@Rashi

Rashi on Psalms 73:1

<b>A song of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, etc.</b> Since the topic of this psalm deals with the troubles that befall Israel, he commences it in this manner. And this is the meaning: Although I cry out and am dismayed at Israel’s troubles, I kn...

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