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 leader. Al tashheth. Of David. A michtam. Do you speak what is right, you gods? With equity judge you your people?

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

In the land you practise iniquity – all of you; violence do you dispense with your hands.

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

The wicked go astray from the womb liars take the wrong path from their birth.

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

Venom have they like the venom of snakes, they are like the deaf adder that stops her ears,

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

and refuses to listen to the voice of the charmer, or binder of spells, no matter how cunning.

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

O God, break to pieces the teeth in their mouth, tear out the great teeth of the young lions, Lord.

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 melt away like running water! Like tender grass, cut down may they be!

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 the snail that dissolves on its crawling path, like the birth untimely which sees not the sunlight.

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

Faster than a thorn-fire heats your pots, he will come with his tempest and 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 sight of such vengeance will gladden the righteous; their feet they will wash 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.

People will say, ‘Yes, the just are rewarded: yes, on the earth is a God who is Judge.’