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-taschith, 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.

Yes, 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 their birth: 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.