Psalm 58
A Cry against Injustice
For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.” A Davidic Miktam.
1 Do you really speak righteously, you mighty ones?
Do you judge people fairly?(A)
2 No, you practice injustice in your hearts;
with your hands you weigh out violence in the land.(B)
3 The wicked go astray from the womb;
liars err from birth.(C)
4 They have venom like the venom of a snake,
like the deaf cobra that stops up its ears,(D)
5 that does not listen to the sound of the charmers
who skillfully weave spells.(E)
6 God, knock the teeth out of their mouths;
Lord, tear out the young lions’ fangs.(F)
7 They will vanish like water that flows by;
they will aim their useless arrows.(G)
8 Like a slug that moves along in slime,
like a woman’s miscarried child,
they will not see the sun.(H)
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—
whether green or burning—
He will sweep them away.(I)
10 The righteous one will rejoice
when he sees the retribution;(J)
he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.(K)
11 Then people will say,
“Yes, there is a reward for the righteous!
There is a God who judges on earth!”(L)
Footnotes
- Psalm 58:1
- Psalm 58:1
- Psalm 58:7
- Psalm 58:7
- Psalm 58:9
Cross references
- 58:1 : Ps 82:2
- 58:2 : Ps 94:20; Is 10:1; Mal 3:15
- 58:3 : Ps 51:5; Is 48:8
- 58:4 : Dt 32:33; Ps 140:3
- 58:5 : Ec 10:11; Jr 8:17
- 58:6 : Jb 4:10; 29:17; Ps 3:7
- 58:7 : Jos 7:5; Ps 112:10; Ezk 21:7
- 58:8 : Jb 3:16; Ec 6:3
- 58:9 : Jb 27:21; Pr 10:25; Ec 7:6
- 58:10 : Jb 22:19
- 58:10 : Ps 68:23; Jr 11:20; 20:12
- 58:11 : Ps 9:8; 67:4; 75:7
