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?
For the music director. According to “Do Not Destroy.” A psalm (miktam) of David. You leaders, do you really say what is right? Do you judge people fairly?
2 Even in heart ye work iniquities, In the land the violence of your hands ye ponder.
No, for in your minds you plan evil. You cause violence everywhere!
3 The wicked have been estranged from the womb, They have erred from the belly, speaking lies.
The wicked are sinners from birth; from the moment they're born they tell lies.
4 Their poison [is] as poison of a serpent, As a deaf asp shutting its ear,
They have venom like that of a poisonous snake, and just like a cobra they stop listening,
5 Which hearkeneth not to the voice of whisperers, A charmer of charms most skilful.
refusing to hear the voice of the snake charmers or the spellbinders.
6 O God, break their teeth in their mouth, The jaw-teeth of young lions break down, O Jehovah.
God, break their teeth, and smash the jaws of these lions, Lord.
7 They are melted as waters, They go up and down for themselves, His arrow proceedeth as they cut themselves off.
May they vanish like water that flows away; when they shoot their arrows may they miss their mark.
8 As a snail that melteth he goeth on, [As] an untimely birth of a woman, They have not seen the sun.
May they be like the slime of snails that dissolves away, like a stillborn child that never saw the light of day.
9 Before your pots discern the bramble, As well the raw as the heated He whirleth away.
Before the cooking pot is hot from burning thorns, whether fresh or dry, God will blow them away.
10 The righteous rejoiceth that he hath seen vengeance, His steps he washeth in the blood of the wicked.
Those who live right will be happy when they see there is punishment; they will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 And man saith: 'Surely fruit [is] for the righteous: Surely there is a God judging in the earth!'
They will say, “There is definitely a reward for those who live right; there is certainly a God who judges fairly on earth.”
