Psalms 58
Read Psalms 58 (WEB)+
1Do you indeed speak righteousness, silent ones? Do you judge blamelessly, you sons of men? 2No, in your heart you plot injustice. You measure out the violence of your hands in the earth. 3The wicked go astray from the womb. They are wayward as soon as they are born, speaking lies. 4Their poison is like the poison of a snake; like a deaf cobra that stops its ear, 5which doesn’t listen to the voice of charmers, no matter how skillful the charmer may be. 6Break their teeth, God, in their mouth. Break out the great teeth of the young lions, Yahweh. 7Let them vanish like water that flows away. When they draw the bow, let their arrows be made blunt. 8Let them be like a snail which melts and passes away, like the stillborn child, who has not seen the sun. 9Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns, he will sweep away the green and the burning alike. 10The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked; 11so that men shall say, “Most certainly there is a reward for the righteous. Most certainly there is a God who judges the earth.”
World English Bible (public domain)
“"Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth."”
Psalms 58:11
Summary
Psalms chapter 58 addresses the theme of justice and the moral failures of corrupt judges. The psalmist begins with a rhetorical question, challenging the judges of the earth about their inability to judge righteously. This psalm is a lament and an imprecatory psalm, where David calls upon God to bring about justice against the wicked who pervert justice and speak lies. Using vivid imagery, such as referring to the wicked as venomous serpents, David underscores the depth of their corruption and the danger they pose to society. Additionally, the psalm portrays a hope for divine justice, urging God to intervene and render the wicked powerless. The chapter concludes with a confident expectation that the righteous will rejoice when they see God's justice prevail, affirming that there is indeed a reward for the righteous and a divine judge over the earth.
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