There Is a God Who Judges

Verses 1–10 · outrage at corrupt rulers

1. ^{verse 1}Do you indeed speak justly, O rulers? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men?
2. ^{verse 2}No, in your hearts you devise injustice; with your hands you mete out violence on the earth.
3. ^{verse 3}The wicked are estranged from the womb; the liars go astray from birth.
4. ^{verse 4}Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like a cobra that shuts its ears,
5. ^{verse 5}refusing to hear the tune of the charmer who skillfully weaves his spell.
6. ^{verse 6}O God, shatter their teeth in their mouths; O LORD, tear out the fangs of the lions.
7. ^{verse 7}May they vanish like water that runs off; when they draw the bow, may their arrows be blunted.
8. ^{verse 8}Like a slug that dissolves in its slime, like a woman’s stillborn child, may they never see the sun.
9. ^{verse 9}Before your pots can feel the burning thorns— whether green or dry— He will sweep them away.
10. ^{verse 10}The righteous will rejoice when they see they are avenged; they will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.

Verse 11 · confidence that God judges the earth

1. ^{verse 11}Then men will say, “There is surely a reward for the righteous! There is surely a God who judges the earth!”