Psalms 58
1 For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A poem by David. Do you indeed speak righteousness, silent ones? Do you judge blamelessly, you sons of men?
Unto the end, destroy not, for David, for an inscription of a title. If in very deed you speak justice: judge right things, ye sons of men.
2 No, in your heart you plot injustice. You measure out the violence of your hands in the earth.
For in your heart you work iniquity: your hands forge injustice in the earth.
3 The wicked go astray from the womb. They are wayward as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
The wicked are alienated from the womb; they have gone astray from the womb: they have spoken false things.
4 Their poison is like the poison of a snake, like a deaf cobra that stops its ear,
Their madness is according to the likeness of a serpent: like the deaf asp that stoppeth her ears:
5 which doesn’t listen to the voice of charmers, no matter how skilful the charmer may be.
Which will not hear the voice of the charmers; nor of the wizard that charmeth wisely.
6 Break their teeth, God, in their mouth. Break out the great teeth of the young lions, LORD.
God shall break in pieces their teeth in their mouth: the Lord shall break the grinders of the lions.
7 Let them vanish like water that flows away. When they draw the bow, let their arrows be made blunt.
They shall come to nothing, like water running down; he hath bent his bow till they be weakened.
8 Let them be like a snail which melts and passes away, like the stillborn child, who has not seen the sun.
Like wax that melteth they shall be taken away: fire hath fallen on them, and they shall not see the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns, he will sweep away the green and the burning alike.
Before your thorns could know the brier; he swalloweth them up, as alive, in his wrath.
10 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,
The just shall rejoice when he shall see the revenge: he shall wash his hands in the blood of the sinner.
11 so that men shall say, “Most certainly there is a reward for the righteous. Most certainly there is a God who judges the earth.”
And man shall say: If indeed there be fruit to the just: there is indeed a God that judgeth them on the earth.
