Psalms 58
1 `In Ebreu thus, To victorie; `lese thou not the swete song, ether the semely salm, of Dauid. `In Jeroms translacioun thus, To the ouercomere, that thou lese not Dauid, meke and simple. Forsothe if ye speken riytfulnesse verili; ye sones of men, deme riytfuli.
“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 For in herte ye worchen wickidnesse in erthe; youre hondis maken redi vnriytfulnessis.
Even in [your] heart ye work injustice: on the earth do ye weigh out the violence of your hands.
3 Synneris weren maad aliens fro the wombe; thei erriden fro the wombe, thei spaken false thingis.
The wicked are estranged [from goodness] from the womb: those who speak lies go astray from their very birth.
4 Woodnesse is to hem, bi the licnesse of a serpent; as of a deef snake, and stoppynge hise eeris.
They have poison like the poison of a serpent: [they are] like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;
5 Which schal not here the vois of charmeris; and of a venym makere charmynge wiseli.
Which will not hearken to the voice of conjurers, yea, that of the wisest of all charmers.
6 God schal al to-breke the teeth of hem in her mouth; the Lord schal breke togidere the greet teeth of liouns.
O God, break out their teeth in their mouth: the jaw-teeth of the young lions tear thou out, O Lord.
7 Thei schulen come to nouyt, as water rennynge awei; he bente his bouwe, til thei ben maad sijk.
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 As wexe that fletith awei, thei schulen be takun awei; fier felle aboue, and thei siyen not the sunne.
As a snail which melteth, let him pass away; like the untimely birth of a woman which hath not seen the sun.
9 Bifore that youre thornes vndurstoden the ramne; he swolewith hem so in ire, as lyuynge men.
Before your pots can feel the thorns, will he take them away with a whirlwind, both the green and the burning.
10 The iust man schal be glad, whanne he schal se veniaunce; he schal waische hise hondis in the blood of a synner.
The righteous will rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he will bathe his steps in the blood of the wicked.
11 And a man schal seie treuli, For fruyt is to a iust man; treuli God is demynge hem in erthe.
So that a man shall say, Verily fruit will come for the righteous: verily there is a God that judgeth on the earth.
