For the Chief Musician. To the tune of "Do Not Destroy." A poem by David.

1 Do you indeed speak righteousness, silent ones?

Do you judge blamelessly, you sons of men?

2 No, in your heart you plot injustice.

You measure out the violence of your hands in the earth.

3 The wicked go astray from the womb.

They are wayward as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

4 Their poison is like the poison of a snake,

like a deaf cobra that stops its ear,

5 which doesn’t listen to the voice of charmers,

no matter how skillful the charmer may be.

6 Break their teeth, God, in their mouth.

Break out the great teeth of the young lions, Yahweh.

7 Let them vanish like water that flows away.

When they draw the bow, let their arrows be made blunt.

8 Let them be like a snail which melts and passes away,

like the stillborn child, who has not seen the sun.

9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns,

he will sweep away the green and the burning alike.

10 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance.

He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,

11 so that men shall say, "Most certainly there is a reward for the righteous.

Most certainly there is a God who judges the earth."

1 Ki te tino kaiwhakatangi. Aratakiti. He Mikitama. Na Rawiri. He korero puku ranei ta koutou i te pono? he tika ranei ta koutou whakarite, e nga tama a te tangata?

2 He pono, e mahia ana e koutou te he i roto i te ngakau, e paunatia ana e koutou te tutu a o koutou ringa i runga i te whenua.

3 He tangata ke te hunga hara no te kopu mai ano; whanau kau kua kotiti ke, kua korero teka.

4 Ko to ratou paihana he rite ki to te nakahi, kei te neke turi e puru nei i tona taringa;

5 E kore nei e whakarongo ki te reo o te kaiwhakawai, ahakoa tino matau ia ki te whakawai.

6 Whatiia, e te Atua, o ratou niho i roto i o ratou mangai: kowhakia, e Ihowa, nga niho nunui o nga kuao raiona.

7 Kia mimiti ratou, ano he wai e heke atu ana: ka whakatikaia ana pere, kia rite ki te mea kua poutoa.

8 Kia memeha haere, a kia pahure, ano he ngata: kia rite ki te mea mate roto a te wahine, kahore nei i kite i te ra.

9 E kore e tukua kia rongo a koutou kohua i nga tataramoa, ka kahakina ratou e ia i roto i te awhiowhio, te mea kaiota, te mea e wera ana.

10 Ka hari te tangata tika ua kite i te utu: ka horoia e ia ona waewae ki nga toto o te tangata hara.

11 A ka mea te tangata, Koia, ka whai utu te tangata tika: ina, he Atua ano tenei e whakawa ana i te whenua.