Psalms 58

1 [For the Chief Musician. To the tune of "Do Not Destroy." A poem by David.] Do you rulers indeed speak righteousness? Do you judge blamelessly, you descendants of Adam?

For the Leader; Al-tashheth. A Psalm of David; Michtam. Do ye indeed speak as a righteous company? Do ye judge with equity the sons of men?

2 No, in your heart you plot injustice. You measure out the violence of your hands in the earth.

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

3 The wicked go astray from the womb. They are wayward as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

The wicked are estranged from the womb; the speakers of lies go astray as soon as they are born.

4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; like a deaf viper that stops its ear,

Their venom is like the venom of a serpent; they are like the deaf asp that stoppeth her ear;

5 which doesn't listen to the voice of charmers, no matter how skillful the charmer may be.

Which hearkeneth not to the voice of charmers, or of the most cunning binder of spells.

6 Break their teeth, God, in their mouth. Break out the great teeth of the young lions, YHWH.

Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth; break out the cheek-teeth of the young lions, O LORD.

7 Let them vanish as water that flows away. When they draw the bow, let their arrows be made blunt.

Let them melt away as water that runneth apace; when he aimeth his arrows, let them be as though they were cut off.

8 Let them be like a snail which melts and passes away, like the stillborn child, who has not seen the sun.

Let them be as a snail which melteth and passeth away; like the untimely births of a woman, that have not seen the sun.

9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns, he will sweep away the green and the burning alike.

Before your pots can feel the thorns, He will sweep it away with a whirlwind, the raw and the burning alike.

10 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance. He shall wash his feet 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 so that men shall say, "Most certainly there is a reward for the righteous. Most certainly there is a God who judges the earth."

And men shall say: 'Verily there is a reward for the righteous; verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth.'