Psalms 58

1 Is righteousness indeed silent? Do ye speak it? Do ye judge with equity, ye sons of men?

1To the Overseer. --`Destroy not.' --A secret treasure, by David. Is it true, O dumb one, righteously ye speak? Uprightly ye judge, O sons of men?

1 Is there righteousness in your mouths, O you gods? are you upright judges, O you sons of men?

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

2Even in heart ye work iniquities, In the land the violence of your hands ye ponder.

2The purposes of your hearts are evil; your hands are full of cruel doings on the earth.

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

3The wicked have been estranged from the womb, They have erred from the belly, speaking lies.

3The evil-doers are strange from the first; from the hour of their birth they go out of the true way, saying false words.

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

4Their poison <FI>is<Fi> as poison of a serpent, As a deaf asp shutting its ear,

4Their poison is like the poison of a snake; they are like the adder, whose ears are shut;

5 Which doth not hearken to the voice of enchanters, of one charming ever so wisely.

5Which hearkeneth not to the voice of whisperers, A charmer of charms most skilful.

5Who will not be moved by the voice of the wonder-worker, however great are his powers.

6 OGod, break their teeth in their mouth; break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Jehovah.

6O God, break their teeth in their mouth, The jaw-teeth of young lions break down, O Jehovah.

6O God, let their teeth be broken in their mouths; let the great teeth of the young lions be pulled out, O Lord.

7 Let them melt away as waters that flow off; when he aimeth his arrows, let them be as blunted:

7They are melted as waters, They go up and down for themselves, His arrow proceedeth as they cut themselves off.

7Let them be turned to liquid like the ever-flowing waters; let them be cut off like the grass by the way.

8 Let them be as a snail that melteth as it passeth away; [like] the untimely birth of a woman, let them not see the sun.

8As a snail that melteth he goeth on, <FI>As<Fi> an untimely birth of a woman, They have not seen the sun.

8Let them be like an after-birth which is turned to water and comes to an end; like the fruit of a woman who gives birth before her time, let them not see the sun.

9 Before your pots feel the thorns, green or burning, — they shall be whirled away.

9Before your pots discern the bramble, As well the raw as the heated He whirleth away.

9Before they are conscious of it, let them be cut down like thorns; let a strong wind take them away like waste growth.

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

10The righteous rejoiceth that he hath seen vengeance, His steps he washeth in the blood of the wicked.

10The upright man will be glad when he sees their punishment; his feet will be washed in the blood of the evil-doer.

11 And men shall say, Verily there is fruit for the righteous; verily there is aGod that judgeth in the earth.

11And man saith: `Surely fruit <FI>is<Fi> for the righteous: Surely there is a God judging in the earth!'

11So that men will say, Truly there is a reward for righteousness; truly there is a God who is judge on the earth.