Psalms 58

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

Do you indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do you judge uprightly, O you sons of men?

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

Yes, in heart you work wickedness; you weigh 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 are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be 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 that stops her ear;

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

Which will not listen to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.

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

Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.

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 which run continually: when he bends his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.

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

As a snail which melts, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may 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 can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.

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 sees the vengeance: he shall wash his feet 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.

So that a man shall say, Truly there is a reward for the righteous: truly he is a God that judges in the earth.