The Massachusetts Bay Psalm Book(1640)
Psalm 58
Do ye, o c o n g r e g a t i o n ,
i n d e e d s p e a k r i g h t e o u s n e s s ?
a n d o ye s o n s of earthly m e n ,
d o y e j u d g e u n r i g h t n e s s ?
Yea y o u in heart will w o r k i n g be
i n j u r i o u s - w i c k e d n e s s ;
a n d i n t h e l a n d y o u will w e i g h o u t
y o u r h a n d s ' v i o l e n c e .
T h e w i c k e d are e s t r a n g e d f r o m
the womb, they go astray
as s o o n as ever t h e y are b o r n e ;
u t t e r i n g lies are they.
T h e i r p o i s o n ' s like serpent's p o i s o n ;
t h e y like d e a f asp, h e r earsmall poisonous snake
t h a t stops. T h o u g h c h a r m e r w i s e l y c h a r m ,
his v o i c e s h e will n o t hear.
*The first book published in the new colony of Psalter was one of the two most commonly owned
Massachusetts, compiled by twelve Puritan cler- books in New England (the other being The New
gymen who sought (as John Cotton explained inEngland Primer).
Within their mouth do thou their teeth
break out, O God most strong,
do thou Jehovah, the great teeth
break of the lion's young.
As waters let them melt away,
that run continually:
and when he bends his shafts, let them
as cut asunder be.
Like to a snail that melts, so let
each of them pass away;
like to a woman's untimely birth
see sun that never they may.
Before your pots can feel the thorns,
take them away shall he,
as with a whirlwind both living,
and in his jealousy.
The righteous will rejoice when as
the vengeance he doth see;
his feet wash shall he in the blood
of them that wicked be.
So that a man shall say, surely
for righteous, there is fruit:
sure there's a God that in the earth
judgement doth execute.