Psalms 58

1 To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David. Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

Unto the end. May you not destroy. Of David, with the inscription of a title. If, truly and certainly, you speak justice, then judge what is right, you sons of men.

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

For, even in your heart, you work iniquity. Your hands construct injustice on the earth.

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

Sinners have become foreigners from the womb; they have gone astray from conception. They have been speaking falsehoods.

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

Their fury is similar to that of a serpent; it is like a deaf asp, who even blocks her ears,

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

who will not listen to the voice of charmers, nor even to the enchanter who chants wisely.

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

God will crush their teeth within their own mouth. The Lord will break the molars of the lions.

7 Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.

They will come to nothing, like water flowing away. He has aimed his bow, while they are being weakened.

8 As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.

Like wax that flows, they will be carried away. Fire has fallen upon them, and they will not see the sun.

9 Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.

Before your thorns could know the brier, he consumes them alive, as if in rage.

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

The just one will rejoice when he sees vindication. He will wash his hands in the blood of the sinner.

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

And man will say, “If the just one is fruitful, then, truly, there is a God judging them on earth.”