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.
For the leader. Al tashheth. Of David. A michtam. Do you speak what is right, you gods? With equity judge you your people?
2 For ye work iniquities in [your] hearts in the earth: your hands plot unrighteousness.
In the land you practise iniquity – all of you; violence do you dispense with your hands.
3 Sinners have gone astray from the womb: they go astray from the belly: they speak lies.
The wicked go astray from the womb liars take the wrong path from their birth.
4 Their venom is like [that] of a serpent; as [that] of a deaf asp, and that stops her ears;
Venom have they like the venom of snakes, they are like the deaf adder that stops her ears,
5 which will not hear the voice of charmers, nor [heed] the charm prepared skillfully by the wise.
and refuses to listen to the voice of the charmer, or binder of spells, no matter how cunning.
6 God has crushed their teeth in their mouth: God has broken the cheek-teeth of the lions.
O God, break to pieces the teeth in their mouth, tear out the great teeth of the young lions, Lord.
7 They shall utterly pass away like water running through: he shall bend his bow till they shall fail.
May they melt away like running water! Like tender grass, cut down may they be!
8 They shall be destroyed as melted wax: the fire has fallen and they have not seen the sun.
Like the snail that dissolves on its crawling path, like the birth untimely which sees not the sunlight.
9 Before your thorns feel the white thorn, he shall swallow you up as living, as in his wrath.
Faster than a thorn-fire heats your pots, he will come with his tempest and sweep them 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 sight of such vengeance will gladden the righteous; their feet they will wash 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.
People will say, “Yes, the just are rewarded: yes, on the earth is a God who is Judge.”
