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

Do you indeed speak righteousness, O gods? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men?

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

No, in heart you work unrighteousness; On earth you weigh out 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 wicked are estranged from the womb; These who speak lies go astray from birth.

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

They have venom like the venom of a serpent; Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear,

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

So that it does not hear the voice of charmers, Or a skillful caster of spells.

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

O God, shatter their teeth in their mouth; 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 flow away like water that runs off; When he aims his arrows, let them be as headless shafts.

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 which melts away as it goes along, Like the miscarriages of a woman which never see 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 fire of thorns He will sweep them away with a whirlwind, the green and the burning 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 will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; He will wash 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.

And men will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; Surely there is a God who judges on earth!”