The Just Judgment of the Wicked

To the Chief Musician. Set to [a]“Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David.

58 Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones?
Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men?
No, in heart you work wickedness;
You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.

(A)The wicked are estranged from the womb;
They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
(B)Their poison is like the poison of a serpent;
They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear,
Which will not (C)heed the voice of charmers,
Charming ever so skillfully.

(D)Break[b] their teeth in their mouth, O God!
Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!
(E)Let them flow away as waters which run continually;
When he bends his bow,
Let his arrows be as if cut in pieces.
Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes,
(F)Like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun.

Before your (G)pots can feel the burning thorns,
He shall take them away (H)as with a whirlwind,
As in His living and burning wrath.
10 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the (I)vengeance;
(J)He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,
11 (K)So that men will say,
“Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
Surely He is God who (L)judges in the earth.”

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 58:1 Heb. Al Tashcheth
  2. Psalm 58:6 Break away

58 Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? Do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

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

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

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

which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charm they ever so wisely.

Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth; break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Lord!

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.

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.

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

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

11 so that a man shall say, “Verily there is a reward for the righteous; verily He is a God that judgeth on the earth.”