David reproves wicked judges;

For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A poem by David.

58:1 Do you indeed speak righteousness, silent ones?
Do you judge blamelessly, you sons of men?

58:2 No, in your heart you plot injustice.
You measure out the violence of your hands in the earth.

describes the nature of the wicked;

58:3 The wicked go astray from the womb.
They are wayward as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

Psalm 146:9

58:4 Their poison is like the poison of a snake;
like a deaf cobra that stops its ear,

58:5 which doesn’t listen to the voice of charmers,
no matter how skillful the charmer may be.

devotes them to God's judgments;

58:6 Break their teeth, God, in their mouth.
Break out the great teeth of the young lions, Yahweh.

58:7 Let them vanish as water that flows away.
When they draw the bow, let their arrows be made blunt.

58:8 Let them be like a snail which melts and passes away,
like the stillborn child, who has not seen the sun.

58:9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns,
he will sweep away the green and the burning alike.

whereat the righteous shall rejoice.

58:10 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance.
He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked;

58:11 so that men shall say, “Most certainly there is a reward for the righteous.
Most certainly there is a God who judges the earth.”