1 T o the Overseer. -- `Destroy not.' -- A secret treasure, by David. Is it true, O dumb one, righteously ye speak? Uprightly ye judge, O sons of men?

Do ye indeed in silence speak righteousness? Do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

2 E ven in heart ye work iniquities, In the land the violence of your hands ye ponder.

Nay, in heart ye work wickedness; Ye weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.

3 T he wicked have been estranged from the womb, They have erred from the belly, speaking lies.

The wicked are estranged from the womb: They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

4 T heir poison as poison of a serpent, As a deaf asp shutting its ear,

Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: They are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear,

5 W hich hearkeneth not to the voice of whisperers, A charmer of charms most skilful.

Which hearkeneth not to the voice of charmers, Charming never so wisely.

6 O God, break their teeth in their mouth, The jaw-teeth of young lions break down, O Jehovah.

Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: Break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Jehovah.

7 T hey are melted as waters, They go up and down for themselves, His arrow proceedeth as they cut themselves off.

Let them melt away as water that runneth apace: When he aimeth his arrows, let them be as though they were cut off.

8 A s a snail that melteth he goeth on, an untimely birth of a woman, They have not seen the sun.

Let them be as a snail which melteth and passeth away, Like the untimely birth of a woman, that hath not seen the sun.

9 B efore your pots discern the bramble, As well the raw as the heated He whirleth away.

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

10 T he righteous rejoiceth that he hath seen vengeance, His steps he washeth in the blood of the wicked.

The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked;

11 A nd man saith: `Surely fruit for the righteous: Surely there is a God judging in the earth!'

So that men shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: Verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth.