Psalms 73-77

Psalm 73

¹A Psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

²But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped.

³For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

⁴They have no struggle in their death; their bodies are well-fed.

⁵They are free of the burdens others carry; they are not afflicted like other men.

⁶Therefore pride is their necklace; a garment of violence covers them.

⁷From their prosperity proceeds iniquity; the imaginations of their hearts run wild.

⁸They mock and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression.

⁹They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongues strut across the earth.

¹⁰So their people return to this place and drink up waters in abundance.

¹¹The wicked say, “How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?”

¹²Behold, these are the wicked— always carefree as they increase their wealth.

¹³Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure; in innocence I have washed my hands.

¹⁴For I am afflicted all day long and punished every morning.

¹⁵If I had said, “I will speak this way,” then I would have betrayed Your children.

¹⁶When I tried to understand all this, it was troublesome in my sight

¹⁷until I entered God’s sanctuary; then I discerned their end.

¹⁸Surely You set them on slick ground; You cast them down into ruin.

¹⁹How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors!

²⁰Like one waking from a dream, so You, O Lord, awaken and despise their form.

²¹When my heart was grieved and I was pierced within,

²²I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before You.

²³Yet I am always with You; You hold my right hand.

²⁴You guide me with Your counsel, and later receive me in glory.

²⁵Whom have I in heaven but You? And on earth I desire no one besides You.

²⁶My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

²⁷Those far from You will surely perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You.

²⁸But as for me, it is good to draw near to God. I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may proclaim all Your works.

Psalm 74

¹A Maskil of Asaph. Why have You rejected us forever, O God? Why does Your anger smolder against the sheep of Your pasture?

²Remember Your congregation, which You purchased long ago and redeemed as the tribe of Your inheritance— Mount Zion where You dwell.

³Turn Your steps to the everlasting ruins, to everything in the sanctuary the enemy has destroyed.

⁴Your foes have roared within Your meeting place; they have unfurled their banners as signs,

⁵like men wielding axes in a thicket of trees

⁶and smashing all the carvings with hatchets and picks.

⁷They have burned Your sanctuary to the ground; they have defiled the dwelling place of Your Name.

⁸They said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely.” They burned down every place where God met us in the land.

⁹There are no signs for us to see. There is no longer any prophet. And none of us knows how long this will last.

¹⁰How long, O God, will the enemy taunt You? Will the foe revile Your name forever?

¹¹Why do You withdraw Your strong right hand? Stretch it out to destroy them!

¹²Yet God is my King from ancient times, working salvation on the earth.

¹³You divided the sea by Your strength; You smashed the heads of the dragons of the sea;

¹⁴You crushed the heads of Leviathan; You fed him to the creatures of the desert.

¹⁵You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up the ever-flowing rivers.

¹⁶The day is Yours, and also the night; You established the moon and the sun.

¹⁷You set all the boundaries of the earth; You made the summer and winter.

¹⁸Remember how the enemy has mocked You, O LORD, how a foolish people has spurned Your name.

¹⁹Do not deliver the soul of Your dove to beasts; do not forget the lives of Your afflicted forever.

²⁰Consider Your covenant, for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.

²¹Do not let the oppressed retreat in shame; may the poor and needy praise Your name.

²²Rise up, O God; defend Your cause! Remember how the fool mocks You all day long.

²³Do not disregard the clamor of Your adversaries, the uproar of Your enemies that ascends continually.

Psalm 75

¹For the choirmaster: To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A Psalm of Asaph. A song. We give thanks to You, O God; we give thanks, for Your Name is near. The people declare Your wondrous works.

²“When I choose a time, I will judge fairly.

³When the earth and all its dwellers quake, it is I who bear up its pillars. Selah

⁴I say to the proud, ‘Do not boast,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn.

⁵Do not lift up your horn against heaven or speak with an outstretched neck.’”

⁶For exaltation comes neither from east nor west, nor out of the desert,

⁷but it is God who judges; He brings down one and exalts another.

⁸For a cup is in the hand of the LORD, full of foaming wine mixed with spices. He pours from His cup, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to the dregs.

⁹But I will proclaim Him forever; I will sing praise to the God of Jacob.

¹⁰“All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous will be exalted.”

Psalm 76

¹For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A song. God is known in Judah; His name is great in Israel.

²His tent is in Salem, His dwelling place in Zion.

³There He shattered the flaming arrows, the shield and sword and weapons of war. Selah

⁴You are resplendent with light, more majestic than mountains filled with game.

⁵The valiant lie plundered; they sleep their last sleep. No men of might could lift a hand.

⁶At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both horse and rider lie stunned.

⁷You alone are to be feared. When You are angry, who can stand before You?

⁸From heaven You pronounced judgment, and the earth feared and was still

⁹when God rose up to judge, to save all the lowly of the earth. Selah

¹⁰Even the wrath of man shall praise You; with the survivors of wrath You will clothe Yourself.

¹¹Make and fulfill your vows to the LORD your God; let all the neighboring lands bring tribute to Him who is to be feared.

¹²He breaks the spirits of princes; He is feared by the kings of the earth.

Psalm 77

¹For the choirmaster. According to Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph. I cried out to God; I cried aloud to God to hear me.

²In the day of trouble I sought the Lord; through the night my outstretched hands did not grow weary; my soul refused to be comforted.

³I remembered You, O God, and I groaned; I mused and my spirit grew faint. Selah

⁴You have kept my eyes from closing; I am too troubled to speak.

⁵I considered the days of old, the years long in the past.

⁶At night I remembered my song; in my heart I mused, and my spirit pondered:

⁷“Will the Lord spurn us forever and never show His favor again?

⁸Is His loving devotion gone forever? Has His promise failed for all time?

⁹Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has His anger shut off His compassion?” Selah

¹⁰So I said, “I am grieved that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”

¹¹I will remember the works of the LORD; yes, I will remember Your wonders of old.

¹²I will reflect on all You have done and ponder Your mighty deeds.

¹³Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God?

¹⁴You are the God who works wonders; You display Your strength among the peoples.

¹⁵With power You redeemed Your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

¹⁶The waters saw You, O God; the waters saw You and swirled; even the depths were shaken.

¹⁷The clouds poured down water; the skies resounded with thunder; Your arrows flashed back and forth.

¹⁸Your thunder resounded in the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.

¹⁹Your path led through the sea, Your way through the mighty waters, but Your footprints were not to be found.

²⁰You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.