< Psalms 58 >

1 For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A poem by David. Do you indeed speak righteousness, silent ones? Do you judge blamelessly, you sons of men?
“To the chief musician Al-tashcheth, by David, a Michtham.” Do you indeed, who are dumb, speak righteously? do ye judge in uprightness, O ye sons of men?
2 No, in your heart you plot injustice. You measure out the violence of your hands in the earth.
Even in [your] heart ye work injustice: on the earth do ye weigh out the violence of your hands.
3 The wicked go astray from the womb. They are wayward as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
The wicked are estranged [from goodness] from the womb: those who speak lies go astray from their very birth.
4 Their poison is like the poison of a snake, like a deaf cobra that stops its ear,
They have poison like the poison of a serpent: [they are] like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;
5 which doesn’t listen to the voice of charmers, no matter how skillful the charmer may be.
Which will not hearken to the voice of conjurers, yea, that of the wisest of all charmers.
6 Break their teeth, God, in their mouth. Break out the great teeth of the young lions, Yahweh.
O God, break out their teeth in their mouth: the jaw-teeth of the young lions tear thou out, O Lord.
7 Let them vanish like water that flows away. When they draw the bow, let their arrows be made blunt.
Let them melt away as water [which] runneth off: when each one bendeth [his bow to shoot] his arrows, let them be as if cut in pieces.
8 Let them be like a snail which melts and passes away, like the stillborn child, who has not seen the sun.
As a snail which melteth, let him pass away; like the untimely birth of a woman which hath not seen the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns, he will sweep away the green and the burning alike.
Before your pots can feel the thorns, will he take them away with a whirlwind, both the green and the burning.
10 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,
The righteous will rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he will bathe his steps in the blood of the wicked.
11 so that men shall say, “Most certainly there is a reward for the righteous. Most certainly there is a God who judges the earth.”
So that a man shall say, Verily fruit will come for the righteous: verily there is a God that judgeth on the earth.

< Psalms 58 >