Psalms 58

1 For the Chief Musician; [set to] Al-tashheth. [A Psalm] of David: Michtam. Do ye indeed in silence speak righteousness? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David. Do you indeed speak justly, O rulers? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men?

2 Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.

No, in your hearts you devise injustice; with your hands you mete out violence on the earth.

3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

The wicked are estranged from the womb; the liars go astray from birth.

4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: [they are] like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;

Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like a cobra that shuts its ears,

5 Which hearkeneth not to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.

refusing to hear the tune of the charmer who skillfully weaves his spell.

6 Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.

O God, shatter their teeth in their mouths; O LORD, tear out the fangs of the lions.

7 Let them melt away as water that runneth apace: when he aimeth his arrows, let them be as though they were cut off.

May they vanish like water that runs off; when they draw the bow, may their arrows be blunted.

8 [Let them be] as a snail which melteth and passeth away: [like] the untimely birth of a woman, that hath not seen the sun.

Like a slug that dissolves in its slime, like a woman’s stillborn child, may they never see the sun.

9 Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away with a whirlwind, the green and the burning alike.

Before your pots can feel the burning thorns— whether green or dry— He will sweep them away.

10 The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

The righteous will rejoice when they see they are avenged; they will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.

11 So that men shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth.

Then men will say, “There is surely a reward for the righteous! There is surely a God who judges the earth!”