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PSALM 58

Prayer for the Punishment of the Wicked.

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

1Do you indeed Another reading is speak righteousness in silencespeak righteousness, you Or mighty ones; or judgesgods?
Do you judge Or mankind fairly?fairly, you sons of mankind?
2No, in heart you practice injustice;
On earth you clear a way for the violence of your hands.
3The wicked have turned away from the womb;
These who speak lies go astray from Lit the wombbirth.
4They have venom like the venom of a serpent;
Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear,
5So that it does not hear the voice of Or whispererscharmers,
Or a skillful caster of spells.
6God, shatter their teeth in their mouth;
Break out the fangs of the young lions, Lord.
7May they flow away like water that runs off;
When he Lit bendsaims his arrows, may they be as 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.
9Before your pots can feel the fire of thorns
He will sweep them away with a whirlwind, the Lit livinggreen and the burning alike.
10The righteous will rejoice when he sees vengeance;
He will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11And people will say, “There certainly is Lit fruita reward for the righteous;
There certainly is a God who judges on the earth!”