The Just Judgment of the Wicked

To the Chief Musician. Set to [a]“Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David.

58 Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones?
Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men?
No, in heart you work wickedness;
You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.

(A)The wicked are estranged from the womb;
They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
(B)Their poison is like the poison of a serpent;
They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear,
Which will not (C)heed the voice of charmers,
Charming ever so skillfully.

(D)Break[b] their teeth in their mouth, O God!
Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!
(E)Let them flow away as waters which run continually;
When he bends his bow,
Let his arrows be as if cut in pieces.
Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes,
(F)Like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun.

Before your (G)pots can feel the burning thorns,
He shall take them away (H)as with a whirlwind,
As in His living and burning wrath.
10 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the (I)vengeance;
(J)He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,
11 (K)So that men will say,
“Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
Surely He is God who (L)judges in the earth.”

The Assured Judgment of the Wicked

To the Chief Musician. Set to [c]“Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David (M)when Saul sent men, and they watched the house in order to kill him.

59 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
[d]Defend me from those who rise up against me.
Deliver me from the workers of iniquity,
And save me from bloodthirsty men.

For look, they lie in wait for my life;
(N)The mighty gather against me,
Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O Lord.
They run and prepare themselves through no fault of mine.

(O)Awake to help me, and behold!
You therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel,
Awake to punish all the [e]nations;
Do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah

(P)At evening they return,
They growl like a dog,
And go all around the city.
Indeed, they belch with their mouth;
(Q)Swords are in their lips;
For they say, (R)“Who hears?”

But (S)You, O Lord, shall laugh at them;
You shall have all the [f]nations in derision.
I will wait for You, O You [g]his Strength;
(T)For God is my [h]defense.
10 [i]My God of mercy shall (U)come to meet me;
God shall let (V)me see my desire on my enemies.

11 Do not slay them, lest my people forget;
Scatter them by Your power,
And bring them down,
O Lord our shield.
12 (W)For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips,
Let them even be taken in their pride,
And for the cursing and lying which they speak.
13 (X)Consume them in wrath, consume them,
That they may not be;
And (Y)let them know that God rules in Jacob
To the ends of the earth. Selah

14 And (Z)at evening they return,
They growl like a dog,
And go all around the city.
15 They (AA)wander up and down for food,
And [j]howl if they are not satisfied.

16 But I will sing of Your power;
Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning;
For You have been my defense
And refuge in the day of my trouble.
17 To You, (AB)O my Strength, I will sing praises;
For God is my defense,
My God of mercy.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 58:1 Heb. Al Tashcheth
  2. Psalm 58:6 Break away
  3. Psalm 59:1 Heb. Al Tashcheth
  4. Psalm 59:1 Lit. Set me on high
  5. Psalm 59:5 Gentiles
  6. Psalm 59:8 Gentiles
  7. Psalm 59:9 So with MT, Syr.; some Heb. mss., LXX, Tg., Vg. my Strength
  8. Psalm 59:9 Lit. fortress
  9. Psalm 59:10 So with Qr.; some Heb. mss., LXX, Vg. My God, His mercy; Kt., some Heb. mss., Tg. O God, my mercy; Syr. O God, Your mercy
  10. Psalm 59:15 So with LXX, Vg.; MT, Syr., Tg. spend the night

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