58
Prayer for the Punishment of the Wicked.
For the choir director; set to ALit Do Not DestroyAl-tashheth. A BPossibly Epigrammatic Poem or Atonement PsalmMikhtam of David.
1 Do you indeed 1Another reading is speak righteousness in silencespeak righteousness, O 2Or mighty ones or judgesgods?
Do you APs 82:2judge 3Or uprightly the sons of menuprightly, O sons of men?
2 No, in heart you AMal 3:15work unrighteousness;
On earth you BPs 94:20; Is 10:1weigh out the violence of your hands.
3 The wicked are estranged APs 51:5; Is 48:8from the womb;
These who speak lies BPs 53:3go astray from 1Lit the wombbirth.
4 They have venom like the ADeut 32:33; Ps 140:3venom of a serpent;
Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear,
Or a skillful caster of spells.
6 O God, AJob 4:10; Ps 3:7shatter their teeth in their mouth;
Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Loʀᴅ.
7 Let them AJosh 2:11; 7:5; Ps 112:10; Is 13:7; Ezek 21:7flow away like water that runs off;
When he 1Lit bendsBPs 64:3aims his arrows, let them be as 2Lit though they were cut offheadless shafts.
Like the AJob 3:16; Eccl 6:3miscarriages of a woman which never see the sun.
He will BJob 27:21; Ps 83:15; Prov 10:25sweep them away with a whirlwind, the 1Lit livinggreen and the burning alike.
10 The AJob 22:19; Ps 32:11; 64:10; 107:42righteous will rejoice when he BDeut 32:43; Ps 91:8; Jer 11:20; 20:12sees the vengeance;
He will CPs 68:23wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 And men will say, “Surely there is a 1Lit fruitAPs 18:20; 19:11; Is 3:10; Luke 6:23, 35reward for the righteous;
Surely there is a God who BPs 9:8; 67:4; 75:7; 94:2judges 2Or inon earth!”
A^ Lit Do Not Destroy
B^ Possibly Epigrammatic Poem or Atonement Psalm
158:1 Another reading is speak righteousness in silence
258:1 Or mighty ones or judges
358:1 Or uprightly the sons of men
158:3 Lit the womb
158:5 Or whisperers
A58:7 Josh 2:11; 7:5; Ps 112:10; Is 13:7; Ezek 21:7
158:7 Lit bends
258:7 Lit though they were cut off
158:8 I.e. secretes slime
B58:9 Job 27:21; Ps 83:15; Prov 10:25
158:9 Lit living
A58:10 Job 22:19; Ps 32:11; 64:10; 107:42
B58:10 Deut 32:43; Ps 91:8; Jer 11:20; 20:12
158:11 Lit fruit
A58:11 Ps 18:20; 19:11; Is 3:10; Luke 6:23, 35
B58:11 Ps 9:8; 67:4; 75:7; 94:2
258:11 Or in