| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. | 1A psalm by Asaph. Certainly God is good to Israel, and to those whose motives are pure! |
| 2But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. | 2But as for me, my feet almost slipped; my feet almost slid out from under me. |
| 3For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. | 3For I envied those who are proud, as I observed the prosperity of the wicked. |
| 4For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek. | 4For they suffer no pain; their bodies are strong and well-fed. |
| 5They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind. | 5They are immune to the trouble common to men; they do not suffer as other men do. |
| 6Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment. | 6Arrogance is their necklace, and violence their clothing. |
| 7Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies. | 7Their prosperity causes them to do wrong; their thoughts are sinful. |
| 8They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. | 8They mock and say evil things; they proudly threaten violence. |
| 9They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth. | 9They speak as if they rule in heaven, and lay claim to the earth. |
| 10Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them. | 10Therefore they have more than enough food to eat, and even suck up the water of the sea. |
| 11And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” | 11They say, "How does God know what we do? Is the sovereign one aware of what goes on?" |
| 12Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. | 12Take a good look! This is what the wicked are like, those who always have it so easy and get richer and richer. |
| 13All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. | 13I concluded, "Surely in vain I have kept my motives pure and maintained a pure lifestyle. |
| 14For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning. | 14I suffer all day long, and am punished every morning." |
| 15If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed the generation of your children. | 15If I had publicized these thoughts, I would have betrayed your loyal followers. |
| 16But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, | 16When I tried to make sense of this, it was troubling to me. |
| 17until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. | 17Then I entered the precincts of God's temple, and understood the destiny of the wicked. |
| 18Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. | 18Surely you put them in slippery places; you bring them down to ruin. |
| 19How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! | 19How desolate they become in a mere moment! Terrifying judgments make their demise complete! |
| 20Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms. | 20They are like a dream after one wakes up. O Lord, when you awake you will despise them. |
| 21When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, | 21Yes, my spirit was bitter, and my insides felt sharp pain. |
| 22I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. | 22I was ignorant and lacked insight; I was as senseless as an animal before you. |
| 23Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. | 23But I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. |
| 24You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. | 24You guide me by your wise advice, and then you will lead me to a position of honor. |
| 25Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. | 25Whom do I have in heaven but you? I desire no one but you on earth. |
| 26My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. | 26My flesh and my heart may grow weak, but God always protects my heart and gives me stability. |
| 27For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. | 27Yes, look! Those far from you die; you destroy everyone who is unfaithful to you. |
| 28But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works. | 28But as for me, God's presence is all I need. I have made the sovereign LORD my shelter, as I declare all the things you have done. |
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