Psalms 58

1 For the end. Destroy not: by David, for a memorial. If you do indeed speak righteousness, [then] do you judge rightly, you sons of men.

TO THE OVERSEER. “DO NOT DESTROY.” A MIKTAM OF DAVID. Is it true, O silent one, that you speak righteously? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men?

2 For you work iniquities in [your] hearts in the earth: your hands plot unrighteousness.

Even in heart you work iniquities, In the land you ponder the violence of your hands.

3 Sinners have gone astray from the womb: they go astray from the belly: they speak lies.

The wicked have been estranged from the womb, They have erred from the belly, speaking lies.

4 Their venom is like [that] of a serpent; as [that] of a deaf asp, and that stops her ears;

Their poison [is] as poison of a serpent, As a deaf cobra shutting its ear,

5 which will not hear the voice of charmers, nor [heed] the charm prepared skillfully by the wise.

Which does not listen to the voice of whisperers, A charmer of most skillful charms.

6 God has crushed their teeth in their mouth: God has broken the cheek-teeth of the lions.

O God, break their teeth in their mouth, Break down the jaw-teeth of young lions, O YHWH.

7 They shall utterly pass away like water running through: he shall bend his bow till they shall fail.

They are melted as waters, They go up and down for themselves, His arrow proceeds as they cut themselves off.

8 They shall be destroyed as melted wax: the fire has fallen and they have not seen the sun.

He goes on as a snail that melts, [As] an untimely birth of a woman, They have not seen the sun.

9 Before your thorns feel the white thorn, he shall swallow you up as living, as in his wrath.

Before your pots discern the bramble, As living, He whirls away in His burning anger.

10 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance of the ungodly: he shall wash his hands in the blood of the sinner.

The righteous rejoices that he has seen vengeance, He washes his steps in the blood of the wicked.

11 And a man shall say, Verily then there is a reward for the righteous: verily there is a God that judges them in the earth.

And man says: “Surely fruit [is] for the righteous: Surely there is a God judging in the earth!”