A Cry Against Injustice
1 Are ye, indeed, silent when righteousness, ye should speak? When, with equity, ye should judge, O ye sons of men?
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?
1 For the choir director; set to (a)Al-tashheth. A (b)Mikhtam of David.Do you indeed (c)speak righteousness, O (d)gods?Do you (A)judge (e)uprightly, O sons of men?
1 For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.”(a) A Davidic Miktam.Do you really speak righteously, you mighty ones?(b)Do you judge people fairly?(A)
1 How is it that by remaining silent you can speak righteously? How can you judge people fairly?
7 Let such men flow away like waters that disperse themselves: He prepareth his arrow, Like grass let them be cut down:
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.
7 Let them (J)flow away like water that runs off;When he (h)(K)aims his arrows, let them be as (i)headless shafts.
7 May they flow away like rain water that runs off, may they become like someone who shoots broken arrows.
8 Like a snail, which melteth away as it goeth, An untimely birth of a woman, which hath not seen the sun:
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.
8 Let them be as a snail which (j)melts away as it goes along,Like the (L)miscarriages of a woman which never see the sun.
8 Like a slug that moves along in slime,like a woman’s miscarried child,they will not see the sun.(H)
8 May they be like a snail that dries up as it crawls; like a woman's stillborn baby, who never saw the sun.
9 Before your kettles can perceive the kindled bramble, Be he green or be he withered, he shall be swept away.
9 Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.
9 Before your (M)pots can feel the fire of thornsHe will (N)sweep them away with a whirlwind, the (k)green and the burning alike.
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—whether green or burning—He will sweep them away.(e)(I)
9 Before your clay pots are placed on a fire of burning thorns whether green or ablaze wrath will sweep them away like a storm.
10 The righteous man will rejoice when he hath seen an avenging, His feet, will he bathe in the blood of the lawless one: -
10 The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
10 The (O)righteous will rejoice when he (P)sees the vengeance;He will (Q)wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
10 The righteous one will rejoicewhen he sees the retribution;(J)he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.(K)
10 The righteous person will rejoice when he sees your vengeance; when he washes his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 So that a son of earth may say - Surely there is fruit for the righteous man! Surely there are gods who judge in the earth!
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.
11 And men will say, “Surely there is a (l)(R)reward for the righteous;Surely there is a God who (S)judges (m)on earth!”
11 Then people will say,“Yes, there is a reward for the righteous!There is a God who judges on earth!”(L)
11 A person will say, "Certainly, the righteous are rewarded; certainly there is a God who judges the earth." To the Director: A special Davidic psalm to the tune of "Do Not Destroy," when Saul sent men to watch the house in order to kill him.