לַמְנַצֵּחַ אַל תַּשְׁחֵת לְדָוִד מִכְתָּם

For the chief musician, al tashhet. This expression is explained· above, in 57:1. An instruction by David.

הַאֻמְנָם אֵלֶם צֶדֶק תְּדַבֵּרוּן מֵישָׁרִים תִּשְׁפְּטוּ בְּנֵי אָדָם

The psalmist begins by addressing his enemies: Do you violent men really speak with righteousness? Do you judge men honestly?

אַף בְּלֵב עוֹלֹת תִּפְעָלוּן בָּאָרֶץ חֲמַס יְדֵיכֶם תְּפַלֵּסוּן

No, you plan wrongful deeds in your heart; with your hands you mete out injustice in the land.

זֹרוּ רְשָׁעִים מֵרָחֶם תָּעוּ מִבֶּטֶן דֹּבְרֵי כָזָב

The wicked are corrupt from the womb; from birth, liars go astray.

חֲמַת לָמוֹ כִּדְמוּת חֲמַת נָחָש כְּמוֹ פֶתֶן חֵרֵשׁ יַאְטֵם אָזְנוֹ

They have poison like the venom of a serpent, like a deaf cobra blocking its ear,

אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִשְׁמַע לְקוֹל מְלַחֲשִׁים חוֹבֵר חֲבָרִים מְחֻכָּם

which does not hear or react to the voice of charmers, skillful casters of spells. Most snakes can be calmed by charmers, but the “deaf viper” is resistant to such pacification. The wicked are compared to such serpents, incapable of being swayed by words.

אֱלֹהִים הֲרָס שִׁנֵּימוֹ בְּפִימוֹ מַלְתְּעוֹת כְּפִירִים נְתֹץ ה'

The psalmist continues with a prayer that is more like a curse: God, break their teeth in their mouths; shatter the fangs of the young lions, Lord.

יִמָּאֲסוּ כְמוֹ מַיִם יִתְהַלְּכוּ לָמוֹ יִדְרֹךְ חִצָּו כְּמוֹ יִתְמֹלָלוּ

Let them melt away like the runoff of water, dispersing in all different directions; when he aims his arrows, let them be crushed and broken before they hit their targets.

כְּמוֹ שַׁבְּלוּל תֶּמֶס יַהֲלֹךְ נֵפֶל אֵשֶׁת בַּל חָזוּ שָׁמֶשׁ

Let them be like snails that melt away as they go along. Like a stillborn of a woman, which has never seen the sun.

בְּטֶרֶם יָבִינוּ סִּירֹתֵכֶם אָטָד כְּמוֹ חַי כְּמוֹ חָרוֹן יִשְׂעָרֶנּוּ

The psalmist now addresses the evildoers directly: Before reaching the age of understanding, your shoots will become hardened like a bramble bush; and then, when you will be solidified like a discrete plant, you will be swept away by a whirlwind of wrath.

יִשְׂמַח צַדִּיק כִּי חָזָה נָקָם פְּעָמָיו יִרְחַץ בְּדַם הָרָשָׁע

In the end, the righteous one will rejoice in seeing vengeance; he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

וְיֹאמַר אָדָם אַךְ פְּרִי לצַּדִּיק אַךְ יֵשׁ אֱלֹהִים שֹׁפְטִים בָּאָרֶץ

And then man will say: Surely there is a reward for the righteous; and even if this reward is not always immediately evident, we nevertheless realize that surely there is a God who judges on earth.