Psalm 58
For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A poem by
David.
1 Do you indeed speak
righteousness, silent ones?
Do you judge blamelessly, you sons of men?
2 No,
in your heart
you plot injustice.
You measure out
the violence of
your hands in
the earth.
3 The
wicked go astray from
the womb.
They are wayward
as soon as they
are born, speaking lies.
4 Their poison
is like the poison
of a snake,
like a deaf cobra
that stops its ear,
5 which doesn’t
listen to the voice
of charmers,
no matter how skillful the charmer
may be.
6 Break
their teeth, God,
in their mouth.
Break out the great teeth
of the young lions,
LORD.
7 Let
them vanish like water
that flows away.
When they draw
the bow, let their arrows
be made blunt.
8 Let
them be like
a snail which melts
and passes away,
like the stillborn child,
who has not seen
the sun.
9 Before
your pots can feel
the heat of
the thorns,
he will sweep
away the green and
the burning alike.
10 The righteous shall rejoice
when he sees
the vengeance.
He shall wash his feet
in the blood of
the wicked,
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.”