Psalms 58
1 Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?
2 Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;
5 Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.
6 Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.
7 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 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 Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.
10 The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.
Common Questions About Psalms 58
What does Psalm 58 confront?
It confronts corrupt rulers who deal out violence, comparing the wicked to venomous serpents who will not listen, and calls for God's righteous judgment on them.
What confidence does the psalm end with?
It ends declaring that people will say there is a reward for the righteous and surely there is a God who judges on the earth, affirming ultimate justice.
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Questions to Think About
- How do you process anger at corrupt or unjust leadership in a way that still trusts God's justice?
- What does it look like to leave vengeance to God rather than take it yourself?
Ask the Bible Chat Bot below if you'd like to talk through any of these.
