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?
For the leader. Al tashheth. Of David. A michtam. Do you speak what is right, you gods? With equity judge you your people?
2 Even in heart you work iniquities, In the land you ponder the violence of your hands.
In the land you practise iniquity – all of you; violence do you dispense with your hands.
3 The wicked have been estranged from the womb, They have erred from the belly, speaking lies.
The wicked go astray from the womb liars take the wrong path from their birth.
4 Their poison [is] as poison of a serpent, As a deaf cobra shutting its ear,
Venom have they like the venom of snakes, they are like the deaf adder that stops her ears,
5 Which does not listen to the voice of whisperers, A charmer of most skillful charms.
and refuses to listen to the voice of the charmer, or binder of spells, no matter how cunning.
6 O God, break their teeth in their mouth, Break down the jaw-teeth of young lions, O YHWH.
O God, break to pieces the teeth in their mouth, tear out the great teeth of the young lions, Lord.
7 They are melted as waters, They go up and down for themselves, His arrow proceeds as they cut themselves off.
May they melt away like running water! Like tender grass, cut down may they be!
8 He goes on as a snail that melts, [As] an untimely birth of a woman, They have not seen the sun.
Like the snail that dissolves on its crawling path, like the birth untimely which sees not the sunlight.
9 Before your pots discern the bramble, As living, He whirls away in His burning anger.
Faster than a thorn-fire heats your pots, he will come with his tempest and sweep them away.
10 The righteous rejoices that he has seen vengeance, He washes his steps in the blood of the wicked.
The sight of such vengeance will gladden the righteous; their feet they will wash 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!”
People will say, ‘Yes, the just are rewarded: yes, on the earth is a God who is Judge.’
