Psalm , Sarah Barry
THERE IS A GOD WHO JUDGES THE EARTH
Passage: Psalm 58:1~11  
Key verse: 11
Psalm 58[a]For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[b]
1 Do you rulers indeed speak justly?(A)
Do you judge people with equity?
2 No, in your heart you devise injustice,(B)
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.(C)
3 Even from birth the wicked go astray;
from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake,(D)
like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
5 that will not heed(E) the tune of the charmer,(F)
however skillful the enchanter may be.
6 Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;(G)
Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!(H)
7 Let them vanish like water that flows away;(I)
when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.(J)
8 May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,(K)
like a stillborn child(L) that never sees the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns(M)—
whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.[c](N)
10 The righteous will be glad(O) when they are avenged,(P)
when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.(Q)
11 Then people will say,
“Surely the righteous still are rewarded;(R)
surely there is a God who judges the earth.”(S)
1 Do you rulers indeed speak justly?(A)
Do you judge people with equity?
2 No, in your heart you devise injustice,(B)
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.(C)
3 Even from birth the wicked go astray;
from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake,(D)
like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
5 that will not heed(E) the tune of the charmer,(F)
however skillful the enchanter may be.
6 Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;(G)
Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!(H)
7 Let them vanish like water that flows away;(I)
when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.(J)
8 May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,(K)
like a stillborn child(L) that never sees the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns(M)—
whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.[c](N)
10 The righteous will be glad(O) when they are avenged,(P)
when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.(Q)
11 Then people will say,
“Surely the righteous still are rewarded;(R)
surely there is a God who judges the earth.”(S)
Footnotes
- Psalm 58:1 In Hebrew texts 58:1-11 is numbered 58:2-12.
- Psalm 58:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 58:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
Cross references
- Psalm 58:1 : Ps 82:2
- Psalm 58:2 : Mt 15:19
- Psalm 58:2 : Ps 94:20; Isa 10:1; Lk 6:38
- Psalm 58:4 : S Nu 21:6
- Psalm 58:5 : Ps 81:11
- Psalm 58:5 : Ecc 10:11; Jer 8:17
- Psalm 58:6 : Ps 3:7
- Psalm 58:6 : S Job 4:10
- Psalm 58:7 : S Lev 26:36; S Job 11:16
- Psalm 58:7 : Ps 11:2; 57:4; 64:3
- Psalm 58:8 : Isa 13:7
- Psalm 58:8 : S Job 3:16
- Psalm 58:9 : Ps 118:12; Ecc 7:6
- Psalm 58:9 : S Job 7:10; S 21:18
- Psalm 58:10 : S Job 22:19
- Psalm 58:10 : Dt 32:35; Ps 7:9; 91:8; Jer 11:20; Ro 12:17-21
- Psalm 58:10 : Ps 68:23
- Psalm 58:11 : S Ge 15:1; S Ps 128:2; Lk 6:23
- Psalm 58:11 : S Ge 18:25
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Source:  BibleGateway
1. Is there any justice in the earth? (1-5)
The earth seems to be full of injustice. Wicked men vent their evil and apparently nothing can stop them. They are like a cobra that has stopped its ears and refuses to respond to the charmer's pipe. Sweet talk doesn't stop men who plot evil and speak lies. God's servants can't fight with Satan's tools. So what can we do?
2. God is a Righteous Judge (6-11)
When he was helpless to stop injustice and evil, David prayed. He prayed that God might disarm his enemies; that they might be like a slug that melts as it moves along, and that their evil plans might never see fruition--like a stillborn child that never sees the light of day. He believed in God's justice. He did not harbor grudges or plan human ways of revenge, but trusted the righteous God who judges all men. Jesus forgave his enemies; David committed his anger to the righteous God.
Prayer: Lord, remove from me all grudges and help me to pray when I am angry. Give me Jesus' spirit to go one step beyond, and forgive.
One Word: Vengeance belongs to God