Psalm 58
Wicked judges described and reproved. · A prayer that they may be disabled, and their ruin predicted.
1To the chief Musician, Al–taschith, Michtam of David. Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? 2Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth. 3The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. 4Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear; 5Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.
6Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Lord. 7Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces. 8As 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. 9Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath. 10The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. 11So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.
King James Version (1769) · public domain
1For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David. Do you indeed speak justly, O rulers? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men? 2No, in your hearts you devise injustice; with your hands you mete out violence on the earth. 3The wicked are estranged from the womb; the liars go astray from birth. 4Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like a cobra that shuts its ears, 5refusing to hear the tune of the charmer who skillfully weaves his spell.
6O God, shatter their teeth in their mouths; O LORD, tear out the fangs of the lions. 7May they vanish like water that runs off; when they draw the bow, may their arrows be blunted. 8Like a slug that dissolves in its slime, like a woman’s stillborn child, may they never see the sun. 9Before your pots can feel the burning thorns— whether green or dry— He will sweep them away. 10The righteous will rejoice when they see they are avenged; they will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked. 11Then men will say, “There is surely a reward for the righteous! There is surely a God who judges the earth!”
Berean Standard Bible · public domain
1For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A poem by David. Do you indeed speak righteousness, silent ones? Do you judge blamelessly, you sons of men? 2No, in your heart you plot injustice. You measure out the violence of your hands on the earth. 3The wicked go astray from the womb. They are wayward as soon as they are born, speaking lies. 4Their poison is like the poison of a snake, like a deaf cobra that stops its ear, 5which doesn’t listen to the voice of charmers, no matter how skillful the charmer may be.
6Break their teeth, God, in their mouth. Break out the great teeth of the young lions, LORD. 7Let them vanish like water that flows away. When they draw the bow, let their arrows be made blunt. 8Let them be like a snail which melts and passes away, like the stillborn child, who has not seen the sun. 9Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns, he will sweep away the green and the burning alike. 10The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked, 11so that men shall say, “Most certainly there is a reward for the righteous. Most certainly there is a God who judges the earth.”
World English Bible · public domain
Psalm 58 commentary
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706), public domain.
Verses 1-5
Verses 6-11
Key verses in Psalm 58
- Psalms 58:3
The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
- Psalms 58:10
The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
- Psalms 58:11
So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.
- Psalms 58:1
To the chief Musician, Al–taschith, Michtam of David. Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?
- Psalms 58:4
Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;