Psalms 58

1 To the Chief Musician. "Do not Destroy." A precious Psalm, of David. Are ye, indeed, silent [when] righteousness, ye should speak? When, with equity, ye should judge, O ye sons of men?

In finem, Ne disperdas, David in tituli inscriptionem. Si vere utique iustitiam loquimini: recta iudicate filii hominum.

2 Aye! ye all do work, perversity, —Throughout the land, your hands, weigh out, violence!

Etenim in corde iniquitates operamini: in terra iniustitias manus vestræ concinnant.

3 Lawless men have been estranged from birth, They have gone astray from their nativity, speaking falsehood;

Alienati sunt peccatores a vulva, erraverunt ab utero: locuti sunt falsa.

4 Their poison, is like unto the poison of a serpent, Like the deaf adder, that stoppeth his ear;

Furor illis secundum similitudinem serpentis: sicut aspidis surdæ, et obturantis aures suas,

5 That will not hearken to the voice of whisperers, Though the wise one try to bind him with spells.

quæ non exaudiet vocem incantantium: et venefici incantantis sapienter.

6 O God! break away their teeth in their mouth, The biters of the young lions, knock thou out, O Yahweh!

Deus conteret dentes eorum in ore ipsorum: molas leonum confringet Dominus.

7 Let such men flow away like waters that disperse themselves: He prepareth his arrow, Like [grass] let them be cut down:

Ad nihilum devenient tamquam aqua decurrens: intendit arcum suum donec infirmentur.

8 Like a snail, which melteth away as it goeth, An untimely birth of a woman, which hath not seen the sun:

Sicut cera, quæ fluit, auferentur: supercecidit ignis, et non viderunt solem.

9 Before your kettles can perceive the [kindled] bramble, Be he green or be he withered, he shall be swept away.

Priusquam intelligerent spinæ vestræ rhamnum: sicut viventes, sic in ira absorbet eos.

10 The righteous man will rejoice when he hath seen an avenging, His feet, will he bathe in the blood of the lawless one: —

Lætabitur iustus cum viderit vindictam: manus suas lavabit in sanguine peccatoris.

11 So that a son of earth may say—Surely there is fruit for the righteous man! Surely there are gods who judge in the earth!

Et dicet homo: Si utique est fructus iusto: utique est Deus iudicans eos in terra.