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.
1 Vir die musiekleier; op die wysie van: "Moenie verwoes nie." Van Dawid. 'n Gedig.
2 Spreek julle waarlik geregtigheid, o gode? Oordeel julle die mensekinders regverdig?
3 Ja, julle bedryf ongeregtighede in die hart; julle weeg op aarde die geweld van julle hande af.
4 Afvallig is die goddelose mense van die geboorte af; die leuensprekers dwaal van die moederskoot af.
5 Hulle het gif soos die gif van 'n slang; soos 'n dowe adder wat sy oor toestop,
6 wat nie luister na die stem van die besweerders, van hom wat ervare is om met towerspreuke om te gaan nie.
7 o God, verbreek hulle tande in hulle mond; slaan die tande van die jong leeus uit, o HERE!
8 Laat hulle vergaan soos water wat wegloop; as hy sy pyle rig, laat hulle wees asof hulle stomp geword het.
9 Laat hulle wees soos 'n slak wat wegsmelt so ver as hy loop, soos 'n misgeboorte wat die son nie gesien het nie.
10 Voordat julle potte die doringtak gewaar word, sal Hy dit wegstorm, die rou vleis sowel as die vuurgloed.
11 Die regverdige sal bly wees as hy die wraak sien; hy sal sy voete was in die bloed van die goddelose. [ (Psalms 58:12) En die mense sal sê: Gewis, daar is vrug vir die regverdige; gewis, daar is 'n God wat op die aarde oordeel! ]