Psalms 58

Prev Next

[1]David reproving wicked judges, [3]describeth the nature of the wicked, [6]and devoteth them to God's judgments, [10]whereat the righteous shall rejoice.

To the chief Musician, Al-taschith, Michtam of David.

1. Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

2. Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.

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

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

5. Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.

6. Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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 in the earth.

Metrical version

Psalm 58

C.M. Evan

Do ye, O congregation,
indeed speak righteousness?
O ye that are the sons of men,
judge ye with uprightness?

Yea, ev'n within your very hearts
ye wickedness have done;
And ye the vi'lence of your hands
do weigh the earth upon.

The wicked men estranged are,
ev'n from the very womb;
They, speaking lies, do stray as soon
as to the world they come.

Unto a serpent's poison like
their poison doth appear;
Yea, they are like the adder deaf,
that closely stops her ear;

That so she may not hear the voice
of one that charm her would,
No, not though he most cunning were,
and charm most wisely could.

Their teeth, O God, within their mouth
break thou in pieces small;
The great teeth break thou out, O LORD,
of these young lions all.

Let them like waters melt away,
which downward still do flow:
In pieces cut his arrows all,
when he shall bend his bow.

Like to a snail that melts away,
let each of them be gone;
Like woman's birth untimely, that
they never see the sun.

He shall them take away before
your pots the thorns can find,
Both living, and in fury great,
as with a stormy wind.

The righteous, when he vengeance sees,
he shall be joyful then;
The righteous one shall wash his feet
in blood of wicked men.

So men shall say, The righteous man
reward shall never miss:
And verily upon the earth
a God to judge there is.