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?

[For the Chief Musician. To the tune of "Do Not Destroy." A poem by David.] Do you rulers indeed speak righteousness? Do you judge blamelessly, you descendants of Adam?

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

No, in your heart you plot injustice. You measure out the violence of your hands in the earth.

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

The wicked go astray from the womb. They are wayward as soon as they are born, 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 like the poison of a serpent; like a deaf viper that stops its ear,

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

which doesn't listen to the voice of charmers, no matter how skillful the charmer may be.

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

Break their teeth, God, in their mouth. Break out the great teeth of the young lions, LORD.

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.

Let them vanish as water that flows away. When they draw the bow, let their arrows be made blunt.

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.

Let them be like a snail which melts and passes away, like the stillborn child, who has 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 can feel the heat of the thorns, he will sweep away the green and the burning alike.

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

The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance. He shall wash his feet 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.

so that men shall say, "Most certainly there is a reward for the righteous. Most certainly there is a God who judges the earth."