Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?
Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.
The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be 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, charming never 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.
The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.” – Psalm 58 (KJV)
For the choir director. “Do Not Destroy.”[a] By David. A miktam.
Do you “gods” really speak righteously?[b]
Do you sons of Adam judge rightly?
No, in your heart you commit injustices.
On the earth your hands distribute violence.
The wicked go off course already from the womb.
From the belly they go astray. They speak lies.
Their venom is like the venom of a snake,
like a deaf cobra that has stopped its ears,
that will not listen to the sound of the charmers,
however skillful the spellbinder may be.
O God, break their teeth in their mouths.
Tear out the fangs of the young lions, Lord!
Let them vanish like water that flows away.
When he draws his bow, let his arrows be cut off.[c]
As a slug melts away, so let him disappear.
Like a stillborn child may they not see the sun.
Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—
whether the thorns are green or dry—they will be swept away.[d]
The righteous one will be glad when he sees vengeance.
He will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.
Then people will say, “Surely there is fruit for the righteous.
Surely there is a God judging on the earth.”
Footnotes:
[a] Psalm 58:1 This may be the name of the tune.
[b] Psalm 58:1 This translation follows a correction of the text followed by most modern versions. The Hebrew and Greek read: Do you really speak justice in silence?
[c] Psalm 58:7 The text and its meaning are uncertain. Literally it seems to read: he treads his arrows like they are cut off/dry up.
[d] Psalm 58:9 The meaning is uncertain. Literally it seems to read: like living, like burning anger he will sweep it away.