Psalms 58

1 To the chief Musician, Al-taschith, Michtam of David. Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

TO THE OVERSEER. “DO NOT DESTROY.” A MIKTAM OF DAVID. Is it true, O silent one, that you speak righteously? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men?

2 Yes, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.

Even in heart you work iniquities, In the land you ponder the violence of your hands.

3 The wicked are estranged from their birth: they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

The wicked have been estranged from the womb, They have erred from the belly, speaking lies.

4 Their poison [is] like the poison of a serpent: [they are] like the deaf adder [that] stoppeth her ear;

Their poison [is] as poison of a serpent, As a deaf cobra shutting its ear,

5 Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.

Which does not listen to the voice of whisperers, A charmer of most skillful charms.

6 Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.

O God, break their teeth in their mouth, Break down the jaw-teeth of young lions, O YHWH.

7 Let them melt away as waters [which] run continually: [when] he bendeth [his bow to shoot] his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.

They are melted as waters, They go up and down for themselves, His arrow proceeds as they cut themselves off.

8 As a snail [which] melteth, let [every one of them] pass away: [like] the untimely birth of a woman, [that] they may not see the sun.

He goes on as a snail that melts, [As] an untimely birth of a woman, They have not seen the sun.

9 Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in [his] wrath.

Before your pots discern the bramble, As living, He whirls away in His burning anger.

10 The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

The righteous rejoices that he has seen vengeance, He washes his steps in the blood of the wicked.

11 So that a man shall say, Verily [there is] a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.

And man says: “Surely fruit [is] for the righteous: Surely there is a God judging in the earth!”