< Psalms 58 >

1 For the Chief Musician; [set to] Al-tashheth. [A Psalm] of David: Michtam. Do ye indeed in silence speak righteousness? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?
To the chief music-maker; put to Al-tashheth. Michtam. Of David. Is there righteousness in your mouths, O you gods? are you upright judges, O you sons of men?
2 Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.
The purposes of your hearts are evil; your hands are full of cruel doings on the earth.
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
The evil-doers are strange from the first; from the hour of their birth they go out of the true way, saying false words.
4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: [they are] like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;
Their poison is like the poison of a snake; they are like the adder, whose ears are shut;
5 Which hearkeneth not to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.
Who will not be moved by the voice of the wonder-worker, however great are his powers.
6 Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.
O God, let their teeth be broken in their mouths; let the great teeth of the young lions be pulled out, O Lord.
7 Let them melt away as water that runneth apace: when he aimeth his arrows, let them be as though they were cut off.
Let them be turned to liquid like the ever-flowing waters; let them be cut off like the grass by the way.
8 [Let them be] as a snail which melteth and passeth away: [like] the untimely birth of a woman, that hath not seen the sun.
Let them be like an after-birth which is turned to water and comes to an end; like the fruit of a woman who gives birth before her time, let them not see the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away with a whirlwind, the green and the burning alike.
Before they are conscious of it, let them be cut down like thorns; let a strong wind take them away like waste growth.
10 The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
The upright man will be glad when he sees their punishment; his feet will be washed in the blood of the evil-doer.
11 So that men shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth.
So that men will say, Truly there is a reward for righteousness; truly there is a God who is judge on the earth.

< Psalms 58 >