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

No, in your heart you plot injustice. You measure 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 go astray from the womb. They are wayward as soon as they are 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 snake, like a deaf cobra that stops its ear,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 like a snail which melts and passes away, like the stillborn child, who has 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 heat of the thorns, he will sweep away 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 sees 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, “Most certainly there is a reward for the righteous. Most certainly there is a God who judges the earth.”