Prayer for the Punishment of the Wicked.
For the music director; set to58:0 Lit Do Not DestroyAl-tashheth. A 58:0 Possibly Epigrammatic Poem or Atonement PsalmMikhtam of David.
1 Do you indeed 58:1 Another reading is speak righteousness in silencespeak righteousness, you 58:1 Or mighty ones; or judgesgods?
Do you judge 58:1 Or mankind fairly?fairly, you sons of mankind?
2 No, in heart you practice injustice;
On earth you clear a way for the violence of your hands.
3 The wicked have turned away from the womb;
These who speak lies go astray from 58:3 Lit the wombbirth.
4 They have venom like the venom of a serpent;
Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear,
5 So that it does not hear the voice of 58:5 Or whispererscharmers,
Or a skillful caster of spells.
6 God, shatter their teeth in their mouth;
Break out the fangs of the young lions, Lord.
7 May they flow away like water that runs off;
When he 58:7 Lit bendsaims his arrows, may they be as 58:7 Lit though they were cut offheadless shafts.
8 May they be like a snail which goes along in slime,
Like the miscarriage of a woman that never sees the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the fire of thorns
He will sweep them away with a whirlwind, the 58:9 Lit livinggreen and the burning alike.
10 The righteous will rejoice when he sees vengeance;
He will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 And people will say, "There certainly is 58:11 Lit fruita reward for the righteous;
There certainly is a God who judges on the earth!"