Psalm 58: Do ye, O congregation
To the chief Musician, Al-taschith, Michtam of David.
Meter: C.M. (8,6,8,6)
1 Do ye, O congregation, indeed speak righteousness? O ye that are the sons of men, judge ye with uprightness?
2 Yea, ev’n within your very hearts ye wickedness have done; And ye the vi’lence of your hands do weigh the earth upon.
3 The wicked men estranged are, ev’n from the very womb; They, speaking lies, do stray as soon as to the world they come.
4 Unto a serpent’s poison like their poison doth appear; Yea, they are like the adder deaf, that closely stops her ear;
5 That so she may not hear the voice of one that charm her would, No, not though he most cunning were, and charm most wisely could.
6 Their teeth, O God, within their mouth break thou in pieces small; The great teeth break thou out, O Lord, of these young lions all.
7 Let them like waters melt away, which downward still do flow: In pieces cut his arrows all, when he shall bend his bow.
8 Like to a snail that melts away, let each of them be gone; Like woman’s birth untimely, that they never see the sun.
9 He shall them take away before your pots the thorns can find, Both living, and in fury great, as with a stormy wind.
10 The righteous, when he vengeance sees, he shall be joyful then; The righteous one shall wash his feet in blood of wicked men.
11 So men shall say, The righteous man reward shall never miss: And verily upon the earth a God to judge there is.