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, Altaschith, Michtam of David. Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

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

Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.

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

The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

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

Their poison is 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 charmers, charming never so wisely.

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

Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, 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 waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as 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 every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see 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, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.

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

The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet 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 there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.