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

Do you indeed speak righteousness, silent ones? Do you judge blamelessly, 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 plot injustice. You measure out the violence of your hands in the earth.

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

The wicked go astray from the womb. They are wayward 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 poison of a snake; like a deaf cobra that stops its ear,

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

which doesn’t listen to the voice of charmers, no matter how skillful the charmer may be.

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

Break their teeth, God, in their mouth. Break out the great teeth of the young lions, Yahweh.

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 vanish like water that flows away. When they draw the bow, let their arrows be made blunt.

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 like a snail which melts and passes away, like the stillborn child, who 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 heat of the thorns, he will sweep away 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 shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance. He shall 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.

so that men shall say, “Most certainly there is a reward for the righteous. Most certainly there is a God who judges the earth.”