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

¶ Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of Adam?

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

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

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

The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray 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; they are like the deaf adder that stops her ear,

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

which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.

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

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

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

Let them melt away as waters which run continually; when he bends his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.

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

As a snail which melts, let them pass away, like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.

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

Before your pots can feel the fire of the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.

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

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

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

So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous; verily there is a God that judges in the earth.