Psalms 58

1 For the end. Destroy not: by David, for a memorial. If ye do indeed speak righteousness, [then] do ye judge rightly, ye sons of men.

To the chief Musician. 'Destroy not.' Of David. Michtam. Is righteousness indeed silent? Do ye speak it? Do ye judge with equity, ye sons of men?

2 For ye work iniquities in [your] hearts in the earth: your hands plot unrighteousness.

Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.

3 Sinners have gone astray from the womb: they go astray from the belly: they speak lies.

The wicked go astray from the womb; they err as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

4 Their venom is like [that] of a serpent; as [that] of a deaf asp, and that stops her ears;

Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: [they are] like the deaf adder which stoppeth her ear;

5 which will not hear the voice of charmers, nor [heed] the charm prepared skillfully by the wise.

Which doth not hearken to the voice of enchanters, of one charming ever so wisely.

6 God has crushed their teeth in their mouth: God has broken the cheek-teeth of the lions.

O God, break their teeth in their mouth; break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Jehovah.

7 They shall utterly pass away like water running through: he shall bend his bow till they shall fail.

Let them melt away as waters that flow off; when he aimeth his arrows, let them be as blunted:

8 They shall be destroyed as melted wax: the fire has fallen and they have not seen the sun.

Let them be as a snail that melteth as it passeth away; [like] the untimely birth of a woman, let them not see the sun.

9 Before your thorns feel the white thorn, he shall swallow you up as living, as in his wrath.

Before your pots feel the thorns, green or burning, — they shall be whirled away.

10 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance of the ungodly: he shall wash his hands in the blood of the sinner.

The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance; he shall wash his footsteps in the blood of the wicked:

11 And a man shall say, Verily then there is a reward for the righteous: verily there is a God that judges them in the earth.

And men shall say, Verily there is fruit for the righteous; verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth.