1 I s righteousness indeed silent? Do ye speak it? Do ye judge with equity, ye sons of men?

Do you speak what is right and good, O you powerful ones? Are you always right in how you judge, O sons of men?

2 Y ea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.

No, in your heart you do what is wrong. You use your hands to hurt and destroy in the land.

3 T he wicked go astray from the womb; they err as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

The sinful go wrong as soon as they are born. Those who speak lies go the wrong way from birth.

4 T heir poison is like the poison of a serpent: like the deaf adder which stoppeth her ear;

Their poison is like the poison of a snake. They are like a cobra that cannot or will not listen.

5 W hich doth not hearken to the voice of enchanters, of one charming ever so wisely.

It does not hear the voice of the man who has power over it, even if the man is very good in his work.

6 O God, break their teeth in their mouth; break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Jehovah.

O God, break the teeth in their mouth. Break out the teeth of the young lions, O Lord.

7 L et them melt away as waters that flow off; when he aimeth his arrows, let them be as blunted:

Let them flow away like water that pours. When he uses his arrows, let them have no heads.

8 L et them be as a snail that melteth as it passeth away; the untimely birth of a woman, let them not see the sun.

Let them be like a snail that melts away as it goes. Like a baby born dead, may they never see the sun.

9 B efore your pots feel the thorns, green or burning,—they shall be whirled away.

Before your pots can feel the fire of thorns, He will blow them away with a storm, both the green and the burning ones.

10 T he righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance; he shall wash his footsteps in the blood of the wicked:

The one who is right and good will be full of joy when he sees the sinful punished. He will wash his feet in their blood.

11 A nd men shall say, Verily there is fruit for the righteous; verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth.

And men will say, “For sure there is pay for those who are right and good. For sure there is a God Who says who is guilty or not on the earth.”