Psalms 58
1 To the Chief Musician. "Do not Destroy." A precious Psalm, of David. Are ye, indeed, silent [when] righteousness, ye should speak? When, with equity, ye should judge, O ye sons of men?
For the music director. According to “Do Not Destroy.” A psalm (miktam) of David. You leaders, do you really say what is right? Do you judge people fairly?
2 Aye! ye all do work, perversity, —Throughout the land, your hands, weigh out, violence!
No, for in your minds you plan evil. You cause violence everywhere!
3 Lawless men have been estranged from birth, They have gone astray from their nativity, speaking falsehood;
The wicked are sinners from birth; from the moment they're born they tell lies.
4 Their poison, is like unto the poison of a serpent, Like the deaf adder, that stoppeth his ear;
They have venom like that of a poisonous snake, and just like a cobra they stop listening,
5 That will not hearken to the voice of whisperers, Though the wise one try to bind him with spells.
refusing to hear the voice of the snake charmers or the spellbinders.
6 O God! break away their teeth in their mouth, The biters of the young lions, knock thou out, O Yahweh!
God, break their teeth, and smash the jaws of these lions, Lord.
7 Let such men flow away like waters that disperse themselves: He prepareth his arrow, Like [grass] let them be cut down:
May they vanish like water that flows away; when they shoot their arrows may they miss their mark.
8 Like a snail, which melteth away as it goeth, An untimely birth of a woman, which hath not seen the sun:
May they be like the slime of snails that dissolves away, like a stillborn child that never saw the light of day.
9 Before your kettles can perceive the [kindled] bramble, Be he green or be he withered, he shall be swept away.
Before the cooking pot is hot from burning thorns, whether fresh or dry, God will blow them away.
10 The righteous man will rejoice when he hath seen an avenging, His feet, will he bathe in the blood of the lawless one: —
Those who live right will be happy when they see there is punishment; they will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 So that a son of earth may say—Surely there is fruit for the righteous man! Surely there are gods who judge in the earth!
They will say, “There is definitely a reward for those who live right; there is certainly a God who judges fairly on earth.”
