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?

“To the chief musician Al-tashcheth, by David, a Michtham.” Do you indeed, who are dumb, speak righteously? do ye judge in uprightness, O ye sons of men?

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

Even in [your] heart ye work injustice: on the earth do ye weigh out the violence of your hands.

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

The wicked are estranged [from goodness] from the womb: those who speak lies go astray from their very birth.

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

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

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

Which will not hearken to the voice of conjurers, yea, that of the wisest of all charmers.

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

O God, break out their teeth in their mouth: the jaw-teeth of the young lions tear thou out, O Lord.

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

Let them melt away as water [which] runneth off: when each one bendeth [his bow to shoot] his arrows, let them be as if cut in pieces.

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

As a snail which melteth, let him pass away; like the untimely birth of a woman which hath not seen the sun.

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

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

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

The righteous will rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he will bathe his steps in the blood of the wicked.

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

So that a man shall say, Verily fruit will come for the righteous: verily there is a God that judgeth on the earth.