Psalms 58

1 To him that excelleth. Destroy not. A Psalme of David on Michtam. Is it true? O Congregation, speake ye iustly? O sonnes of men, iudge ye vprightly?

For the Chief Musician; [set to] Al-tashheth. [A Psalm] of David: Michtam. Do ye indeed in silence speak righteousness? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

2 Yea, rather ye imagine mischiefe in your heart: your hands execute crueltie vpon the earth.

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

3 The wicked are strangers from ye wombe: euen from the belly haue they erred, and speake lyes.

The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

4 Their poyson is euen like the poyson of a serpent: like ye deafe adder that stoppeth his eare.

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

5 Which heareth not the voyce of the inchanter, though he be most expert in charming.

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

6 Breake their teeth, O God, in their mouthes: breake the iawes of the yong lions, O Lord.

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

7 Let them melt like the waters, let them passe away: when hee shooteth his arrowes, let them be as broken.

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 consume like a snayle that melteth, and like the vntimely fruite of a woman, that hath not seene the sunne.

[Let them be] as a snail which melteth and passeth away: [like] the untimely birth of a woman, that hath not seen the sun.

9 As raw flesh before your pots feele the fire of thornes: so let him cary them away as with a whirlewinde in his wrath.

Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away with a whirlwind, the green and the burning alike.

10 The righteous shall reioyce when he seeeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feete 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 fruite for the righteous: doutlesse there is a God that iudgeth in the earth.

So that men shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth.