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, Altaschith, Michtam of David. Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?
2 For in herte ye worchen wickidnesse in erthe; youre hondis maken redi vnriytfulnessis.
Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.
3 Synneris weren maad aliens fro the wombe; thei erriden fro the wombe, thei spaken false thingis.
The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
4 Woodnesse is to hem, bi the licnesse of a serpent; as of a deef snake, and stoppynge hise eeris.
Their poison is 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 charmers, charming never so wisely.
6 God schal al to-breke the teeth of hem in her mouth; the Lord schal breke togidere the greet teeth of liouns.
Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, 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 waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as 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 every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see 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, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.
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 shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet 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 there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.
