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 Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A poem by David. Do you indeed speak righteousness, silent ones? Do you judge blamelessly, you sons of men?

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

No, in your heart you plot injustice. You measure out the violence of your hands in the earth.

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

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

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

Their poison is like the poison of a snake, like a deaf cobra that stops its ear,

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

which doesn’t listen to the voice of charmers, no matter how skillful the charmer may be.

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

Break their teeth, God, in their mouth. Break out the great teeth of the young lions, Yahweh.

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

Let them vanish like water that flows away. When they draw the bow, let their arrows be made blunt.

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 like a snail which melts and passes away, like the stillborn child, who has 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 heat of the thorns, he will sweep away the green 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 sees 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.

so that men shall say, “Most certainly there is a reward for the righteous. Most certainly there is a God who judges the earth.”