The Book of Psalms

Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?(a)

(b)

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.(c)

Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;(d)

(e)

Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.(f)

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.(g)

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.(h)

(a)58:1 Al–taschith…: or, Destroy not

(b)58:1 Michtam: or, A golden Psalm

(d)58:4 like the poison: Heb. according to the likeness, etc

(e)58:4 adder: or, asp

(f)58:5 charming…: or, be the charmer never so cunning

(g)58:9 both…: Heb. as living as wrath

(h)58:11 a reward…: Heb. fruit of the, etc

Do you indeed speak righteousness, silent ones? Do you judge blamelessly, you sons of men?

No, in your heart you plot injustice. You measure out the violence of your hands in the earth.

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

Their poison is like the poison of a snake, like a deaf cobra that stops its ear,

which doesn’t listen to the voice of charmers, no matter how skillful the charmer may be.

Break their teeth, God, in their mouth. Break out the great teeth of the young lions, LORD.

Let them vanish like water that flows away. When they draw the bow, let their arrows be made blunt.

Let them be like a snail which melts and passes away, like the stillborn child, who has not seen the sun.

Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns, he will sweep away the green and the burning alike.

The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,

so that men shall say, “Most certainly there is a reward for the righteous. Most certainly there is a God who judges the earth.”