Psalms 58

Prayer for the Punishment of the Wicked.

For the choir director; set to Lit Do Not DestroyAl-tashheth. A Possibly Epigrammatic Poem or Atonement PsalmMikhtam of David.

1Do you indeed 1speak righteousness, O 2gods? Do you 3judge 4uprightly, O sons of men?2No, in heart you 5work unrighteousness; On earth you 6weigh out the violence of your hands.3The wicked are estranged 7from the womb; These who speak lies 8go astray from 9birth.4They have venom like the 10venom of a serpent; Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear,5So that it 11does not hear the voice of 1213charmers, Or a skillful caster of spells.

6O God, 14shatter their teeth in their mouth; Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord.7Let them 15flow away like water that runs off; When he 1617aims his arrows, let them be as 18headless shafts.8Let them be as a snail which 19melts away as it goes along, Like the 20miscarriages of a woman which never see the sun.9Before your 21pots can feel the fire of thorns He will 22sweep them away with a whirlwind, the 23green and the burning alike.

10The 24righteous will rejoice when he 25sees the vengeance; He will 26wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.11And men will say, “Surely there is a 2728reward for the righteous; Surely there is a God who 29judges 30on earth!”