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.
When you mighty men speak, you never say what is right; you never decide things about people justly [RHQ]!
2 For in herte ye worchen wickidnesse in erthe; youre hondis maken redi vnriytfulnessis.
No, in your inner beings you think only about doing what is wrong, and you commit violent crimes in this land [of Israel].
3 Synneris weren maad aliens fro the wombe; thei erriden fro the wombe, thei spaken false thingis.
Wicked people do wrong things and tell lies from the time that they are born [DOU].
4 Woodnesse is to hem, bi the licnesse of a serpent; as of a deef snake, and stoppynge hise eeris.
God, show in the heavens how great you are! And show your glory to people all over the earth! What wicked people say [injures people like] the venom of a snake [MET]; They refuse to listen to good advice, [as though they were] cobras that were deaf [MET]!
5 Which schal not here the vois of charmeris; and of a venym makere charmynge wiseli.
As a result, [like a snake that does not respond when] a charmer plays a flute or when someone sings magic songs, [they do not pay attention when others rebuke them].
6 God schal al to-breke the teeth of hem in her mouth; the Lord schal breke togidere the greet teeth of liouns.
God, as for these enemies who [want to attack me like] young lions, break their teeth!
7 Thei schulen come to nouyt, as water rennynge awei; he bente his bouwe, til thei ben maad sijk.
Cause them to disappear like water disappears [in dry ground]! Cause the arrows that they shoot to have no (heads/sharp points)!
8 As wexe that fletith awei, thei schulen be takun awei; fier felle aboue, and thei siyen not the sunne.
Cause them to become like snails that disappear in the slime; cause them to be like babies that are born dead!
9 Bifore that youre thornes vndurstoden the ramne; he swolewith hem so in ire, as lyuynge men.
Get rid of them [as fast as] thornbushes are blown away [after they are cut] (OR, [as fast as] a fire heats a pot over burning thorns).
10 The iust man schal be glad, whanne he schal se veniaunce; he schal waische hise hondis in the blood of a synner.
Righteous people will rejoice when they see wicked people being punished as they deserve; they will wash their feet in the blood of wicked people.
11 And a man schal seie treuli, For fruyt is to a iust man; treuli God is demynge hem in erthe.
[Then] people will say, “It is true that there is a reward for righteous people; and there is indeed a God who judges people justly here on the earth!”
