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 leader. Al tashheth. Of David. A michtam. Do you speak what is right, you gods? With equity judge you your people?
2 Aye! ye all do work, perversity, —Throughout the land, your hands, weigh out, violence!
In the land you practise iniquity – all of you; violence do you dispense with your hands.
3 Lawless men have been estranged from birth, They have gone astray from their nativity, speaking falsehood;
The wicked go astray from the womb liars take the wrong path from their birth.
4 Their poison, is like unto the poison of a serpent, Like the deaf adder, that stoppeth his ear;
Venom have they like the venom of snakes, they are like the deaf adder that stops her ears,
5 That will not hearken to the voice of whisperers, Though the wise one try to bind him with spells.
and refuses to listen to the voice of the charmer, or binder of spells, no matter how cunning.
6 O God! break away their teeth in their mouth, The biters of the young lions, knock thou out, O Yahweh!
O God, break to pieces the teeth in their mouth, tear out the great teeth of the young 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 melt away like running water! Like tender grass, cut down may they be!
8 Like a snail, which melteth away as it goeth, An untimely birth of a woman, which hath not seen the sun:
Like the snail that dissolves on its crawling path, like the birth untimely which sees not the sunlight.
9 Before your kettles can perceive the [kindled] bramble, Be he green or be he withered, he shall be swept away.
Faster than a thorn-fire heats your pots, he will come with his tempest and sweep 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: —
The sight of such vengeance will gladden the righteous; their feet they will wash 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!
People will say, ‘Yes, the just are rewarded: yes, on the earth is a God who is Judge.’
