1Til korlederen: En sang af David.2Mon I fyrster ved, hvad der er ret og rigtigt? Mon I behandler folk retfærdigt?3Nej, I har kun ondskab i tanke, I giver volden frit løb i landet.4I har været onde fra fødslen af, fra barnsben har I været fulde af løgn.5I udspyr slangegift og vil ikke lytte til Gud. I ligner en døv kobra,6der ikke kan høre slangetæmmeren, lige meget hvor højt han spiller.7Knus kæberne på de grusomme løver, Herre. Bræk alle deres skarpe tænder, Gud.8Lad dem forsvinde som vand i ørkenen, lad dem visne som græs i tørtiden.9Lad dem blive til slim som sneglen, lad dem ende som dødfødte fostre, der aldrig får lyset at se.10Gud vil feje de onde af vejen, hurtigere end brændet kan få gryden i kog.[1]11De gudfrygtige glæder sig, når retten sejrer. De får lov at vade i de gudløses blod.12Da skal folk udbryde: „Ja, de gudfrygtige bliver belønnet til sidst. Der er en Gud, som sørger for retfærdighed på jorden.”
Salme 58
King James Version
1To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David. Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?2Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.3The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.4Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;5Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.6Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.7Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.8As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.9Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.10The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.11So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.