1 'n Psalm van Asaf. Waarlik, God is goed vir Israel, vir die wat rein van hart is.
2 Maar wat my aangaan, my voete het amper gestruikel, my voetstappe het byna uitgegly.
3 Want ek was afgunstig op die onsinniges toe ek die voorspoed van die goddelose mense sien.
4 Want daar is geen kwellings by hulle nie, gesond en vet is hulle liggaam.
5 In die moeite van sterwelinge is hulle nie, en saam met ander mense word hulle nie geplaag nie.
6 Daarom is die trots om hulle soos 'n halssieraad, die geweld bedek hulle soos 'n gewaad.
7 Hulle oë puil uit van vet; die inbeeldinge van die hart loop oor.
8 Hulle spot en spreek in boosheid verdrukking; hulle spreek uit die hoogte.
9 Hulle stel hul mond teen die hemel, en hul tong wandel op die aarde.
10 Daarom draai hulle mense hul hierheen, en waters in volheid word deur hulle geslurp.
11 En hulle sê: Hoe sou God dit weet, en sou daar kennis by die Allerhoogste wees?
12 Kyk, so is die goddelose mense, en altyd onbesorg vermeerder hulle die rykdom!
13 Waarlik, tevergeefs het ek my hart rein gehou en my hande in onskuld gewas.
14 Die hele dag tog is ek geslaan, en my tugtiging was daar elke môre .
15 As ek gesê het: Ek wil ook so spreek -- dan sou ek ontrou gewees het aan die geslag van u kinders!
16 Toe het ek nagedink om dit te verstaan, maar dit was moeite in my oë,
17 totdat ek in die heiligdomme van God ingegaan en op hulle einde gelet het.
18 Waarlik, U stel hulle op gladde plekke; U laat hulle in puin val.
19 Hoe word hulle in 'n oomblik 'n voorwerp van verbasing, vergaan hulle, raak hulle tot niet deur verskrikkinge!
20 Soos 'n droom nadat 'n mens wakker word, o Here, so verag U, as U opwaak, hulle beeld!
21 Toe my hart bitter gestemd en ek in my niere geprikkel was,
22 toe was ,k dom en het niks geweet nie; ek was 'n dier by U.
23 Nogtans is ek altyddeur by U; U het my regterhand gevat.
24 U sal my lei deur u raad en my daarna in heerlikheid opneem.
25 Wie het ek buiten U in die hemel? Buiten U begeer ek ook niks op die aarde nie.
26 Al beswyk my vlees en my hart -- God is die rots van my hart en my deel tot in ewigheid.
27 Want kyk, die wat hulle ver van U af hou, vergaan; U roei almal uit wat van U afhoereer.
28 Maar wat my aangaan, dit is vir my goed om naby God te wees; in die Here HERE het ek my toevlug gestel, om al u werke te vertel.
1 Truly, God is good to Israel, even to such as are clean in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost gone from under me; I was near to slipping;
3 Because of my envy of the men of pride, when I saw the well-being of the wrongdoers.
4 For they have no pain; their bodies are fat and strong.
5 They are not in trouble as others are; they have no part in the unhappy fate of men.
6 For this reason pride is round them like a chain; they are clothed with violent behaviour as with a robe.
7 Their eyes are bursting with fat; they have more than their heart's desire.
8 Their thoughts are deep with evil designs; their talk from their seats of power is of cruel acts.
9 Their mouth goes up to heaven; their tongues go walking through the earth.
10 For this reason they are full of bread; and water is ever flowing for them.
11 And they say, How will the Lord see this? is there knowledge in the Most High?
12 Truly, such are the sinners; they do well at all times, and their wealth is increased.
13 As for me, I have made my heart clean to no purpose, washing my hands in righteousness;
14 For I have been troubled all the day; every morning have I undergone punishment.
15 If I would make clear what it is like, I would say, You are false to the generation of your children.
16 When my thoughts were turned to see the reason of this, it was a weariness in my eyes;
17 Till I went into God's holy place, and saw the end of the evil-doers.
18 You put their feet where there was danger of slipping, so that they go down into destruction.
19 How suddenly are they wasted! fears are the cause of their destruction.
20 As a dream when one is awake, they are ended; they are like an image gone out of mind when sleep is over.
21 My heart was made bitter, and I was pained by the bite of grief:
22 As for me, I was foolish, and without knowledge; I was like a beast before you.
23 But still I am ever with you; you have taken me by my right hand.
24 Your wisdom will be my guide, and later you will put me in a place of honour.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? and having you I have no desire for anything on earth.
26 My flesh and my heart are wasting away: but God is the Rock of my heart and my eternal heritage.
27 For those who are far away from you will come to destruction: you will put an end to all those who have not kept faith with you.
28 But it is good for me to come near to God: I have put my faith in the Lord God, so that I may make clear all his works.