Judgment on Unrighteous Rulers
Psalms 57
The psalmist rebukes rulers who claim to speak righteousness but instead work iniquity and plot unrighteousness, comparing the wicked to venomous serpents that refuse to heed any charmer. He declares that the Lord will break their strength like the teeth of lions and melt them away like wax, so that the righteous will rejoice at the vengeance taken on evildoers and mankind will acknowledge that there is a God who judges the earth.
About these editions
The Septuagint (LXX) in Greek, with Charles Thomson’s 1808 and Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 English translations, set beside the King James Version and the Jewish Masoretic text (JPS 1917) where they align, so you can compare the Greek and the Hebrew. All public domain; choose which to show with the controls above.
Thomson 1808Septuagint
Brenton 1851Septuagint
Greek · BrentonSeptuagint
KJV 1769Masoretic
JPS 1917Masoretic
1
Thomson—
BrentonFor the end. Destroy not: by David, for a memorial.
GreekΕἰς τὸ τέλος, μὴ διαφθείρῃς, τῷ Δαυὶδ εἰς στηλογραφίαν.
KJV—
JPS—
2
ThomsonDO you indeed speak righteousness? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men?
BrentonIf ye do indeed speak righteousness, then do ye judge rightly, ye sons of men.
GreekΕἰ ἀληθῶς ἄρα δικαιοσύνην λαλεῖτε, εὐθεῖα κρίνετε οἱ υἱοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων.
KJVDo ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?
JPSDo ye indeed speak as a righteous company? Do ye judge with equity the sons of men?
3
Thomson—
BrentonFor ye work iniquities in your hearts in the earth: your hands plot unrighteousness.
GreekΚαὶ γὰρ ἐν καρδίᾳ ἀνομίας ἐργάζεσθε ἐν τῇ γῇ, ἀδικίαν αἱ χεῖρες ὑμῶν συμπλέκουσιν.
KJVYea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.
JPSYea, in heart ye work wickedness; Ye weigh out in the earth the violence of your hands.
4
ThomsonFrom the womb the wicked are in a state of alienation, they have gone astray from their birth—they spoke lies.
BrentonSinners have gone astray from the womb: they go astray from the belly: they speak lies.
GreekἈπηλλοτριώθησαν οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἀπὸ μήτρας, ἐπλανήθησαν ἀπὸ γαστρὸς, ἐλάλησαν ψευδῆ.
KJVThe wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
JPSThe wicked are estranged from the womb; The speakers of lies go astray as soon as they are born.
5
ThomsonThey have a venom like that of a serpent—like that of a deaf adder which stoppeth its ears;
BrentonTheir venom is like that of a serpent; as that of a deaf asp, and that stops her ears;
GreekΘυμὸς αὐτοῖς κατὰ τὴν ὁμοίωσιν τοῦ ὄφεως, ὡσεὶ ἀσπίδος κωφῆς, καὶ βυούσης τὰ ὦτα αὐτῆς,
KJVTheir poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;
JPSTheir venom is like the venom of a serpent; They are like the deaf asp that stoppeth her ear;
6
Thomsonwhich will not hearken to the voice of charmers; nor to the charm administered by the wise.
Brentonwhich will not hear the voice of charmers, nor heed the charm prepared skilfully by the wise.
Greekἥτις οὐκ εἰσακούσεται φωνὴν ἐπᾳδόντων, φαρμάκου τε φαρμακευομένου παρὰ σοφοῦ.
KJVWhich will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.
JPS—
7
ThomsonGod hath broken their teeth in their mouth: the Lord hath broken the lion’s grinders.
BrentonGod has crushed their teeth in their mouth: God has broken the cheek-teeth of the lions.
GreekὉ Θεὸς συνέτριψε τοὺς ὀδόντας αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν, τὰς μύλας τῶν λεόντων συνέθλασεν ὁ Κύριος.
KJVBreak their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.
JPSBreak their teeth, O God, in their mouth; Break out the cheek-teeth of the young lions, O LORD.
8
ThomsonThey shall be despised like water passing by. He will bend His bow till they be weakened.
BrentonThey shall utterly pass away like water running through: he shall bend his bow till they shall fail.
GreekἘξουδενωθήσονται ὡς ὕδωρ διαπορευόμενον, ἐντενεῖ τὸ τόξον αὐτοῦ ἕως οὗ ἀσθενήσουσιν.
KJV—
JPS—
9
ThomsonLike melting wax they shall be dissolved. A fire fell and they saw not the sun.
BrentonThey shall be destroyed as melted wax: the fire has fallen and they have not seen the sun.
GreekὩσεὶ κηρὸς ὁ τακεῖς ἀνταναιρεθήσονται, ἔπεσε πῦρ, καὶ οὐκ εἶδον τὸν ἥλιον.
KJV—
JPSLet them be as a snail which melteth and passeth away; Like the untimely births of a woman, that have not seen the sun.
10
Thomson—
BrentonBefore your thorns feel the white thorn, he shall swallow you up as living, as in his wrath.
GreekΠρὸ τοῦ συνιέναι τὰς ἀκάνθας ὑμῶν τὴν ῥάμνον, ὡσεὶ ζῶντας ὡσεὶ ἐν ὀργῇ καταπίεται ὑμᾶς.
KJVBefore your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.
JPSBefore your pots can feel the thorns, He will sweep it away with a whirlwind, the raw and the burning alike.
11
ThomsonThe righteous will rejoice when he seeth the punishment of the wicked; he will wash his hands in the blood of the sinner.
BrentonThe righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance of the ungodly: he shall wash his hands in the blood of the sinner.
GreekΕὐφρανθήσεται δίκαιος, ὅταν ἴδῃ ἐκδίκησιν ἀσεβῶν, τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ νίψεται ἐν τῷ αἵματι τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ.
KJVThe righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
JPSThe righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance; He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
12
ThomsonAnd man will say, Since there is indeed a reward for the righteous, there is a God who judgeth those on the earth.
BrentonAnd a man shall say, Verily then there is a reward for the righteous: verily there is a God that judges them in the earth.
GreekΚαὶ ἐρεῖ ἄνθρωπος, εἰ ἄρα ἐστὶ καρπὸς τῷ δικαίῳ, ἄρα ἐστὶν ὁ Θεὸς κρίνων αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ γῇ.
KJVSo that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.
JPSAnd men shall say: 'Verily there is a reward for the righteous; Verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth.'