Psalms 58
1 For the leader. Al tashheth. Of David. A michtam. Do you speak what is right, you gods? With equity judge you your people?
For the chief musician; set to Al Tashheth. A psalm of David. A michtam. Do you rulers speak righteousness? Do you judge uprightly, you people?
2 In the land you practise iniquity – all of you; violence do you dispense with your hands.
No, you commit wickedness in your heart; you distribute violence throughout the land with your hands.
3 The wicked go astray from the womb liars take the wrong path from their birth.
The wicked go astray even when they are in the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies.
4 Venom have they like the venom of snakes, they are like the deaf adder that stops her ears,
Their poison is like a snake's poison; they are like a deaf adder that stops up its ears,
5 and refuses to listen to the voice of the charmer, or binder of spells, no matter how cunning.
that pays no attention to the voice of charmers, no matter how skillful they are.
6 O God, break to pieces the teeth in their mouth, tear out the great teeth of the young lions, Lord.
Break their teeth in their mouths, God; break out the great teeth of the young lions, Yahweh.
7 May they melt away like running water! Like tender grass, cut down may they be!
Let them melt away as water that runs off; when they shoot their arrows, let them be as though they had no points.
8 Like the snail that dissolves on its crawling path, like the birth untimely which sees not the sunlight.
Let them be like a snail that melts and passes away, like the untimely-born child of a woman that never sees the sunlight.
9 Faster than a thorn-fire heats your pots, he will come with his tempest and sweep them away.
Before your pots can feel the thorn's burning heat, he will take them away with a whirlwind, the green thorns and the burning thorns alike.
10 The sight of such vengeance will gladden the righteous; their feet they will wash in the blood of the wicked.
The righteous will rejoice when he sees God's vengeance; he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,
11 People will say, “Yes, the just are rewarded: yes, on the earth is a God who is Judge.”
so that men will say, “Truly, there is a reward for the righteous person; truly there is a God who judges the earth.”
