1[To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David.] Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? {Altaschith...: or, Destroy not} {Michtam: or, A golden Psalm}
2Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.
3The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. {as soon...: Heb. from the belly}
4Their poison {is} like the poison of a serpent: {they are} like the deaf adder {that} stoppeth her ear; {like the poison: Heb. according to the likeness, etc} {adder: or, asp}
5Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely. {charming...: or, be the charmer never so cunning}
6Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.
7Let them melt away as waters {which} run continually: {when} he bendeth {his bow to shoot} his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.
8As 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.
9Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in {his} wrath. {both...: Heb. as living as wrath}
10The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11So that a man shall say, Verily {there is} a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth. {a reward...: Heb. fruit of the, etc}