Psalms 58
1 To the Overseer. — 'Destroy not.' — A secret treasure, by David. Is it true, O dumb one, righteously ye speak? Uprightly ye judge, O sons of men?
To the chief music-maker; put to Al-tashheth. Michtam. Of David. Is there righteousness in your mouths, O you gods? are you upright judges, O you sons of men?
2 Even in heart ye work iniquities, In the land the violence of your hands ye ponder.
The purposes of your hearts are evil; your hands are full of cruel doings on the earth.
3 The wicked have been estranged from the womb, They have erred from the belly, speaking lies.
The evil-doers are strange from the first; from the hour of their birth they go out of the true way, saying false words.
4 Their poison [is] as poison of a serpent, As a deaf asp shutting its ear,
Their poison is like the poison of a snake; they are like the adder, whose ears are shut;
5 Which hearkeneth not to the voice of whisperers, A charmer of charms most skilful.
Who will not be moved by the voice of the wonder-worker, however great are his powers.
6 O God, break their teeth in their mouth, The jaw-teeth of young lions break down, O Jehovah.
O God, let their teeth be broken in their mouths; let the great teeth of the young lions be pulled out, O Lord.
7 They are melted as waters, They go up and down for themselves, His arrow proceedeth as they cut themselves off.
Let them be turned to liquid like the ever-flowing waters; let them be cut off like the grass by the way.
8 As a snail that melteth he goeth on, [As] an untimely birth of a woman, They have not seen the sun.
Let them be like an after-birth which is turned to water and comes to an end; like the fruit of a woman who gives birth before her time, let them not see the sun.
9 Before your pots discern the bramble, As well the raw as the heated He whirleth away.
Before they are conscious of it, let them be cut down like thorns; let a strong wind take them away like waste growth.
10 The righteous rejoiceth that he hath seen vengeance, His steps he washeth in the blood of the wicked.
The upright man will be glad when he sees their punishment; his feet will be washed in the blood of the evil-doer.
11 And man saith: 'Surely fruit [is] for the righteous: Surely there is a God judging in the earth!'
So that men will say, Truly there is a reward for righteousness; truly there is a God who is judge on the earth.
