1 D o you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones? Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men?

Do you indeed speak righteousness, silent ones? Do you judge blamelessly, you sons of men?

2 N o, in heart you work wickedness; You weigh out 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 cobra that stops its ear,

Their poison is like the poison of a snake; like a deaf cobra that stops its ear,

5 W hich will not heed the voice of charmers, Charming ever so skillfully.

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

6 B reak their teeth in their mouth, O God! Break out the fangs 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 flow away as waters which run continually; When he bends his bow, Let his arrows be as if cut in pieces.

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

8 L et them be like a snail which melts away as it goes, Like a stillborn child 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 burning thorns, He shall take them away as with a whirlwind, As in His living and burning 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 men will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; Surely He is God who 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.”