The Nearness of God Is My Good
A Psalm of Asaph.
Surely God is agood to Israel,
To those who are bpure in heart!
2 But as for me, amy feet had almost stumbled,
My steps had almost slipped.
3 For I was aenvious of the boastful,
I saw the bpeace of the wicked.
4 For there are no pains in their death,
And their body is fat.
5 They are anot in trouble as other men,
And they are not bstricken along with the rest of mankind.
6 Therefore lofty pride is atheir necklace;
The bgarment of violence covers them.
7 Their eye bulges from afatness;
The delusions of their heart overflow.
8 They ascoff and wickedly speak of oppression;
They bspeak from on high.
9 They have aset their mouth against the heavens,
And their tongue goes through the earth.
10 Therefore his people return here, to his place,
And waters of afullness are drunk by them.
11 They say, “aHow does God know?
And is there knowledge with the Most High?”
12 Behold, athese are the wicked;
And always bat ease, they have increased in wealth.
13 Surely ain vain I have kept my heart pure
And bwashed my hands in innocence;
14 For I have been stricken aall day long
And breproved every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will recount thus,”
Behold, I would have betrayed the ageneration of Your children.
16 When I agave thought to know this,
It was trouble in my sight
17 Until I came into the asanctuary of God;
Then I understood their bend.
18 Surely You set them in aslippery places;
You cause them to fall to bdestruction.
19 How they become adesolate in a moment!
They are completely swept away by bterrors!
20 Like a adream when one awakes,
O Lord, when baroused, You will cdespise their form.
21 When my aheart was embittered
And I was bpierced within,
22 Then I was asenseless and ignorant;
I was like an banimal before You.
23 Nevertheless aI am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.
24 With Your counsel You will alead me,
And afterward btake me in glory.
25 aWhom have I in heaven but You?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
26 My aflesh and my heart fail,
But God is the rock of my heart and my bportion forever.
27 For, behold, athose who are far from You will bperish;
You have destroyed everyone who cis unfaithful to You.
28 But as for me, athe nearness of God is my good;
I have set Lord Yahweh as my brefuge,
That I may crecount all Your works.