Psalm 73, Chant E

 

Psalm 73   Quam bonus Israel!

1 Truly, God is good to Is-rael, *
to those who are pure in heart.

2 But as for me, my feet had near-ly slipped; *
I had almost tripped and fal-len;

3 Because I envied the proud *
and saw the prosperity of the wic-ked:

4 For they suffer no pain, *
and their bodies are sleek and sound;

5 In the misfortunes of others they have no share; *
they are not afflicted as o-thers are;

6 Therefore they wear their pride like a neck-lace *
and wrap their violence about them like a cloak.

7 Their iniquity comes from gross minds, *
and their hearts overflow with wic-ked thoughts.

8 They scoff and speak ma-li-ciously; *
out of their haughtiness they plan op-pres-sion.

9 They set their mouths against the hea-vens, *
and their evil speech runs through the world.

10 And so the peo-ple turn to them *
and find in them no fault.

11 They say, “How should God know? *
is there knowledge in the Most High?”

12 So then, these are the wic-ked; *
always at ease, they increase their wealth.

13 In vain have I kept my heart clean, *
and washed my hands in in-nocence.

14 I have been afflicted all day long, *
and punished eve-ry morn-ing.

15 Had I gone on speaking this way, *
I should have betrayed the generation of your chil-dren.

16 When I tried to understand these things, *
it was too hard for me;

17 Until I entered the sanctuary of God *
and discerned the end of the wic-ked.

18 Surely, you set them in slippery pla-ces; *
you cast them down in ru-in.

19 Oh, how suddenly do they come to des-truc-tion, *
come to an end, and perish from ter-ror!

20 Like a dream when one awakens, O Lord, *
when you arise you will make their im-age van-ish.

21 When my mind became em-bit-tered, *
I was sorely wounded in my heart.

22 I was stupid and had no under-stand-ing; *
I was like a brute beast in your pre-sence.

23 Yet I am al-ways with you; *
you hold me by my right hand.

24 You will guide me by your coun-sel, *
and afterwards receive me with glo-ry.

25 Whom have I in heaven but you? *
and having you I desire nothing upon earth.

26 Though my flesh and my heart should waste away, *
God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ev-er.

27 Truly, those who forsake you will per-ish; *
you destroy all who are un-faith-ful.

28 But it is good for me to be near God; *
I have made the Lord GOD my re-fuge.

29 I will speak of all your works *
in the gates of the city of Zi-on.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Ho-ly Spir-it: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. A-men.