Vengeance Is Not for Us, Rejoicing Is.

As the times grow ever more, uh, ‘challenging’, take time to reflect. Like medicine for the soul, reading and reflecting upon the Psalms can have a calming effect. It can be cathartic. I’m sure it was for David as he was writing at least some of his.

The Psalm for today is 58, one of David’s.¹ Bear in mind “Sons of Men” here refers to kings, rulers, etc.

58:₁ So you truly speak righteousness?

You judge properly, ‘Sons of Men’?

₂ For even in your heart you practice lawlessness on the earth;

with your hands you weave unrighteousness.

₃ Estranged are sinners from the womb,

astray from birth, they utter falsehoods,

₄ their venom as that of a snake,

like a deaf cobra also plugging up its ears,

₅ which hears not the sound of the charmer

or enticements invoked with skill.

₆ God shall crush their teeth in their mouth;

The teeth of the ‘lions’, the Lord shall shatter.

₇ They shall dissipate as water passing through.

He shall stretch His bow until they grow faint.

₈ Like wax melted, they shall be taken away:

Fire rains upon them, and they cannot see the sun.

₉ Before you fathom your thorns, the thorny bush as living,

as in wrath, it shall swallow you up.

₁₀ The righteous shall rejoice upon seeing vengeance on the ungodly.

He shall wash his hands in the bloodshed of the sinful.

₁₁ Then a man shall say, “Truly there is fruit for the righteous!

Truly there is a God judging them on the earth!”

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¹ Translated from the Septuagint/LXX 57. The main differences from the Masoretic Text (MT) are in verses 7b–9.

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