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 speak righteousness, O congregation? 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.

Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh 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 be 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 will not hearken 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 Lord.

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 waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.

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

As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see 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 shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.

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 a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.