1 ل ِماذا تَصْمِتُونَ عَنِ العَدلِ أيُّها القادَةُ العِظامُ؟ أتَقضُونَ بِالعَدلِ بَينَ النّاسِ؟

Is righteousness indeed silent? Do ye speak it? Do ye judge with equity, ye sons of men?

2 ب َلْ قُلُوبُكُمْ مَلأى بِالشَّرِّ فِي هَذِهِ الأرْضِ، وَبِأيدِيكُمْ عُنفٌ وَجَرِيمَةٌ.

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

3 ه َؤُلاءِ الأشرارُ ضَلُّوا مُنذُ مَولِدِهِمْ. وَمُنذُ طُفُولَتِهِمْ كاذِبُونَ.

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

4 غ َضَبُهُمْ كَسُمِّ الأفعَى. وَلا يَسمَعُونَ صَوتَ الحَقِّ،

Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: like the deaf adder which stoppeth her ear;

5 ك َما لا تَسمَعُ الأفعَى السّامَّةُ صَوتَ الحاوِي. بِمَهارَةٍ يُعِدُّونَ مَكائِدَهُمْ.

Which doth not hearken to the voice of enchanters, of one charming ever so wisely.

6 ك َسِّرْ أسنانَهُمْ فِي أفواهِهِمْ يا اللهُ! وَاقلَعْ أنيابَ الأُسُودِ مِنها.

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

7 ل ِتَذُبْ قُوَّتُهُمْ كَالماءِ الَّذِي يَمضِي فِي طَرِيقِهِ. وَلْيُداسُوا كَعُشبٍ ذابِلٍ.

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

8 ل َيتَهُمْ يَختَفُونَ كَحَلَزَونٍ يَذُوبُ كُلَّما تَحَرَّكَ حَتَّى يَختَفِيَ. لَيتَهُمْ كَجَنِينٍ مَيِّتٍ لَمْ يَرَ ضَوْءَ الشَّمسِ.

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

9 ل َيتَهُمْ يَصِيرُونَ كَالأشواكِ. بَعضُها يَحتَرِقُ، وَبَعضُها يَنتَظِرُ. تُطَيِّرُها الرِّيحُ قَبلَ أنْ تَلمِسَ النّارَ.

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

10 ل َيتَ الصّالِحِينَ يَفرَحُونَ، إذْ يَرَونَ مُكافأتَهُمْ. لَيتَهُمْ يَدُوسُونَ الأشرارَ.

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

11 و َلَيتَ النّاسَ يَقُولُونَ: «حَقّاً إنَّ الصّالِحِينَ يُكافَأُونَ. حَقّاً يُوجَدُ إلَهٌ يَحكُمُ هَذا الكَونَ.»

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