BOOK THREE
(Psalms 73–89)
The Justice of God
1 God is indeed good to Israel,
to those who have pure hearts.
2 But I had nearly lost confidence;
my faith was almost gone
3 because I was jealous of the proud
when I saw that things go well for the wicked.
4 They do not suffer pain;
they are strong and healthy.
5 They do not suffer as other people do;
they do not have the troubles that others have.
6 And so they wear pride like a necklace
and violence like a robe;
7 their hearts pour out evil,
and their minds are busy with wicked schemes.
8 They laugh at other people and speak of evil things;
they are proud and make plans to oppress others.
9 They speak evil of God in heaven
and give arrogant orders to everyone on earth,
10 so that even God's people turn to them
and eagerly believe whatever they say.
11 They say, “God will not know;
the Most High will not find out.”
12 That is what the wicked are like.
They have plenty and are always getting more.
13 Is it for nothing, then, that I have kept myself pure
and have not committed sin?
14 O God, you have made me suffer all day long;
every morning you have punished me.
15 If I had said such things,
I would not be acting as one of your people.
16 I tried to think this problem through,
but it was too difficult for me
17 until I went into your Temple.
Then I understood what will happen to the wicked.
18 You will put them in slippery places
and make them fall to destruction!
19 They are instantly destroyed;
they go down to a horrible end.
20 They are like a dream that goes away in the morning;
when you rouse yourself, O Lord, they disappear.
21 When my thoughts were bitter
and my feelings were hurt,
22 I was as stupid as an animal;
I did not understand you.
23 Yet I always stay close to you,
and you hold me by the hand.
24 You guide me with your instruction
and at the end you will receive me with honor.
25 What else do I have in heaven but you?
Since I have you, what else could I want on earth?
26 My mind and my body may grow weak,
but God is my strength;
he is all I ever need.
27 Those who abandon you will certainly perish;
you will destroy those who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, how wonderful to be near God,
to find protection with the Sovereign Lord
and to proclaim all that he has done!
ǃNonaǁî ǂkhanis
Elob di ǂhanu-aisib
Asafi Psalms
1 Amaseb ge Eloba Israeli ǂama a ǃgâi
ǁnān ǃanu ǂgaoga ūhân ǃoagu.
2 Xawe tita xasa, ti ǂaira ge ge ǃnôa ǁga;
ti dāǃharodi ge ge dāsā ǁga.
3 Koasen rana ta ge gere suri;
ǂkhaba khoen di aiǃgûsa ta ge mûo.
4 ǃGae-ūdan ǁîn ǁōb ǃnâ ǀkhai
tsîb ge ǃnāb âna a kausa.
5 Khoesib ra tsâ ǃgomman ūhâ tama;
nau khoen ra tsâ khamin tsâ tama.
6 ǁNā-amagab ge ǂnīsasiba ǁîna ǁgāxū-i ase ība;
ǂkhabadīb ge ǁîna anaǂamsarab ase ība.
7 ǁÎn mûdi ge kaub xa ra ǂoaxa;
ǂgaogu ân ge mûnanaib xa ra ǃnāhe.
8 ǁÎn ge ǃhō tsî ǂkhabase ra ǃhoa;
ǀgapiǂâixasib ǀkhan ǀgâiǀāba ra ǃhoa.
9 Ams ânan ge ǀhommi ǃnâ ra ǂnûi
tsî nams ân ge ǃhūbaib ai ra ǃgûma.
10 ǁNā-amagan ge ǁîb khoena ra oahā;
ǀoasasen ǁgam-e ra ā ǃkhaibǀî.
11 “Mâtib Eloba nî ǂan?” tsî
“Hoan xa ǀGapib tawa ǂansa hâs a?” tin ge ra mî.
12 Nētin ge eloxoresa khoena ī,
hoaǁae sâsase hâ tsî ra ǃkhūsib ǃnâ ǀarosen.
13 Amase ta ge ǁause ti ǂgaoba ǃanuse ge ūhâ
tsî ti ǃomkha ǀhapiosib ǃnâ ge ǁā.
14 Tsēs hoasa ta kom ra tsâ kaiheo,
tsî ǁgoas hoasa ra ǁkharaheo.
15 Tita ga “Nē ǀgaus ai ta ge nî ǃhoa” ti mî hâo;
o ta ge gāxaǃnâse sa ôan di surib ǃoagu ga ī hâ.
16 Tsî nēsa ǁnâuǃās xa ta gere ǂâi
os ge nēsa kaise ǃgom ǁgui-ais ase ge ība te i.
17 Elob Tempeli ǃnâ ta ge ǂgâ
tsî ǁîn di ǀamsa mûs kōse.
18 Amasets ge satsa ǁîna ǂkhanu ǃkhaib ai ra ǃgû kai
ǁînats ge hîkākās ǃoa ra ǁnā kai.
19 ǁÎn ge ǁnātimîsi ra hîkākāhe
tsîn ge ǃhaese ǃaorosa ǀgaub ai ra ǀamǂoa.
20 ǃKhūtse, ǁhapos hîa khoe-i ga ǂkhai o ra bēs
khamin ge ǂkhain kao, īb âna nî ǃharaxū.
21 Ti ǂgaob ge au-ausen
tsî ta ge ǃnaira ǃnâ ǃkhāhe,
22 o ta ge ǁnâuǃāoǃnâ tsî xū-e ge ǀū i
sa tawa ta ge ǀguru-i ase ī i.
23 Tita ge hugaǀgui sats ǀkha nî hâ
sats ge amǀkhāb ǃommi ai ǃkhō te hâ.
24 Sa gā-ai ǀapemādi ǀkhats ge ra ǂgaeǂgui te,
ǁnās khaoǃgâts ge ǃgôasib ǀkha nî ǃkhōǃoa te.
25 Tari-e ta tita ǀhommi ǃnâ ūhâ, sats ǀguits ose?
ǃHūbaib ai ta kom sats ǀguits ose xū-e ūhâ tamao.
26 Ti soros tsî ǂgaob ga ǀams ǃoa sī
xaweb ge Eloba a ti ǂgaob di ǃgareǀui tsî amǃnâ, ǀamos kōse.
27 Mû, ǁnān satsa xu ǃnūn ge nî kāǁō;
tsîts ge ǁnān ǀai-aon khami ra tanisenna nî hîkākā.
28 Xawe tita xasa, ǃgâiba te a Elob ǀgūse hâsa.
Tita ge ǃKhūb Eloba ti ǁhaiǁhâǃkhaise ge dī,
ǁîb dīgu hoaga ta nî ǂhôase.
