Psalms 58

1 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?

For the Leader; Al-tashheth. A Psalm of David; Michtam. Do ye indeed speak as a righteous company? Do ye judge with equity the sons of men?

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

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

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

The wicked are estranged from the womb; the speakers of lies go astray as soon as they are born.

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

Their venom is like the venom of a serpent; they are like the deaf asp that stoppeth her ear;

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

Which hearkeneth not to the voice of charmers, or of the most cunning binder of spells.

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

Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth; break out the cheek-teeth of the young lions, O LORD.

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

Let them melt away as water that runneth apace; when he aimeth his arrows, let them be as though they were cut off.

8 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.

Let them be as a snail which melteth and passeth away; like the untimely births of a woman, that have not seen the sun.

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

Before your pots can feel the thorns, He will sweep it away with a whirlwind, the raw and the burning alike.

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

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

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

And men shall say: 'Verily there is a reward for the righteous; verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth.'