For the director, 'Do Not Destroy,' a Miktam of David.

Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

Do you rulers truly speak justice? Do you judge people with fairness?

Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.

No, in your hearts you devise injustice; your hands mete out violence on the earth.

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

Even from birth, the wicked are estranged; from the womb, they go astray, speaking lies.

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

Their venom is like the venom of a serpent, like that of a deaf cobra that stops its ears.

Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.

It does not heed the voice of charmers, however skillful the enchanter may be.

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

Break their teeth in their mouths, O God! LORD, tear out the fangs of those lions.

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.

May they vanish like water that flows away; when they aim their arrows, may they be blunted.

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.

Like a slug that melts away as it moves, like a stillborn child who never sees the sun.

Before your pots can feel 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—whether green or burning—he will sweep them away.

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

The righteous will rejoice when they see vengeance; they will bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.

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

Then people will say, 'Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth.'