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Psalm 58:9-11
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 58:9-11
New Catholic Bible
9 Let them melt like a snail[a] that oozes into slime
or like a stillborn child that will never see the sun.
10 Before they sprout thorns[b] like brambles or thistles,
may your whirlwind sweep them away.
11 The righteous will rejoice
when he sees that justice has been done,
and he will bathe his feet
in the blood[c] of the wicked.
Footnotes
- Psalm 58:9 Snail: the ancients believed that snails dried up in the sun and evaporated.
- Psalm 58:10 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain. Another translation given is: “Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns— / whether they be green or dry— / the wicked will be swept away.” This accords with the fact that twigs from wild bushes (thorns) were used to start quick fires for cooking (see Ps 118:12; Eccl 7:6).
- Psalm 58:11 Bathe his feet in the blood: a vivid expression indicating complete victory over one’s foes that was common in the Near East (see Ps 68:24; Isa 63:1-6).
Psalm 58:9-11
New International Version
Psalm 58:9-11
New International Version
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns(A)—
whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.[a](B)
10 The righteous will be glad(C) when they are avenged,(D)
when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.(E)
11 Then people will say,
“Surely the righteous still are rewarded;(F)
surely there is a God who judges the earth.”(G)
Footnotes
- Psalm 58:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.