Psalm 58
EasyEnglish Bible
This is for the music leader, and he should use special music.
David wrote this prayer.
God will judge all people[a]
58 Do you rulers really say what is right?
Do you judge people in a fair way?
2 No! You do not!
You like to think of evil things to do.
You make cruel things happen
everywhere in the land.
3 Wicked people do wrong things from their birth.
As soon as they are born,
they start telling lies.
4 Their words hurt people
like a snake's poison.
They listen to nobody,
like a deaf cobra.
5 It does not obey the voice of the magician,
even if he sings very well![b]
6 God, break the teeth of my enemies!
Yes, Lord, break into pieces
the teeth of those lions!
7 Cause them to run away like water and disappear.
Cause them to die like dry grass in hot weather.
8 Cause them to be like a worm that melts as it moves along.
Cause them to be like a child that is born dead
and never sees the light of day.
9 Remove them quickly,
more quickly than pots become hot over a fire of thorn bushes.[c]
10 When God punishes those wicked people,
righteous people will be very happy.
They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked people!
11 People who see it will say,
‘It is true! God helps good people!
There is a God who judges people on earth in a fair way.’
Footnotes
- 58:1 In this psalm, David asks God to punish his enemies. He knows that God is fair. He always does what is right. God is the one who judges everybody in a fair way. The Hebrew in some of the verses is very hard to understand. If you read other Bible translations, you will find that some of the verses seem different.
- 58:5 These wicked people will not listen to God. Some magicians can make snakes obey them when they sing or make music. The wicked people are like snakes that are deaf and they cannot obey.
- 58:9 David asks God to punish these bad people. David wants God to remove them very quickly. He used pictures of different things to say what he means.
Psalm 58
GOD’S WORD Translation
For the choir director; al tashcheth; a miktam by David.
58 Do you rulers really give fair verdicts?
Do you judge Adam’s descendants fairly?
2 No, you invent new crimes on earth,
and your hands spread violence.
3 ⌞Even⌟ inside the womb wicked people are strangers ⌞to God⌟.
From their birth liars go astray.
4 They have poisonous venom like snakes.
They are like a deaf cobra that shuts its ears
5 so that it cannot hear the voice of a snake charmer
or of anyone trained to cast spells.
6 O God, knock the teeth out of their mouths.
Break the young lions’ teeth, O Lord.
7 Let them disappear like water that drains away.
When they aim their bows, let their arrows miss the target.
8 Let them become like a snail that leaves behind a slimy trail
or like a stillborn child who never sees the sun.
9 Let ⌞God⌟ sweep them away
faster than a cooking pot is heated by burning twigs.
10 Righteous people will rejoice when they see ⌞God⌟ take revenge.
They will wash their feet in the blood of wicked people.
11 Then people will say,
“Righteous people certainly have a reward.
There is a God who judges on earth.”
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