Psalms 58
1 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?
To the chief music-maker; put to Al-tashheth. Michtam. Of David. Is there righteousness in your mouths, O you gods? are you upright judges, O you sons of men?
2 Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh out in the earth the violence of your hands.
The purposes of your hearts are evil; your hands are full of cruel doings on the earth.
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb; the speakers of lies go astray as soon as they are born.
The evil-doers are strange from the first; from the hour of their birth they go out of the true way, saying false words.
4 Their venom is like the venom of a serpent; they are like the deaf asp that stoppeth her ear;
Their poison is like the poison of a snake; they are like the adder, whose ears are shut;
5 Which hearkeneth not to the voice of charmers, or of the most cunning binder of spells.
Who will not be moved by the voice of the wonder-worker, however great are his powers.
6 Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth; break out the cheek-teeth of the young lions, O LORD.
O God, let their teeth be broken in their mouths; let the great teeth of the young lions be pulled out, O Lord.
7 Let them melt away as water that runneth apace; when he aimeth his arrows, let them be as though they were cut off.
Let them be turned to liquid like the ever-flowing waters; let them be cut off like the grass by the way.
8 Let them be as a snail which melteth and passeth away; like the untimely births of a woman, that have not seen the sun.
Let them be like an after-birth which is turned to water and comes to an end; like the fruit of a woman who gives birth before her time, let them not see the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the thorns, He will sweep it away with a whirlwind, the raw and the burning alike.
Before they are conscious of it, let them be cut down like thorns; let a strong wind take them away like waste growth.
10 The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance; he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
The upright man will be glad when he sees their punishment; his feet will be washed in the blood of the evil-doer.
11 And men shall say: 'Verily there is a reward for the righteous; verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth.'
So that men will say, Truly there is a reward for righteousness; truly there is a God who is judge on the earth.
