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

Do you indeed in silence speak righteousness, O you mighty ones? Do you judge fairly and uprightly, O you sons of men?

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

No, in your heart you devise wickedness; you deal out in the land the violence of your hands.

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

The ungodly are perverse and estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

4 T heir poison is like the poison of a serpent; they are like the deaf adder that stops her ear,

Their poison is like the venom of a serpent; they are like the deaf adder or asp that stops its ear,

5 w hich will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.

Which listens not to the voice of charmers or of the enchanter never casting spells so cunningly.

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

Break their teeth, O God, in their mouths; break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord.

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

Let them melt away as water which runs on apace; when he aims his arrows, let them be as if they were headless or split apart.

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

Let them be as a snail dissolving slime as it passes on or as a festering sore which wastes away, like a woman gives untimely birth that has not seen the sun.

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

Before your pots can feel the thorns, He will take them away as with a whirlwind, the green and the burning ones alike.

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

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

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

Men will say, Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God Who judges on the earth.