Psalms 58

1 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?

Unto the end, destroy not, for David, for an inscription of a title. If in very deed you speak justice: judge right things, ye sons of men.

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

For in your heart you work iniquity: your hands forge injustice in the earth.

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

The wicked are alienated from the womb; they have gone astray from the womb: they have spoken false things.

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

Their madness is according to the likeness of a serpent: like the deaf asp that stoppeth her ears:

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

Which will not hear the voice of the charmers; nor of the wizard that charmeth wisely.

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

God shall break in pieces their teeth in their mouth: the Lord shall break the grinders of the lions.

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

They shall come to nothing, like water running down; he hath bent his bow till they be weakened.

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

Like wax that melteth they shall be taken away: fire hath fallen on them, and they shall not see the sun.

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

Before your thorns could know the brier; he swalloweth them up, as alive, in his wrath.

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

The just shall rejoice when he shall see the revenge: he shall wash his hands in the blood of the sinner.

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

And man shall say: If indeed there be fruit to the just: there is indeed a God that judgeth them on the earth.