Psalm 12

The Faithful Have Vanished

To the choirmaster: according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David.

1  Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone;
for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.
2  Everyone utters lies to his neighbor;
with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

3  May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
the tongue that makes great boasts,
4  those who say, "With our tongue we will prevail,
our lips are with us; who is master over us?"

5  "Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan,
I will now arise," says the Lord;
"I will place him in the safety for which he longs."
6  The words of the Lord are pure words,
like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
purified seven times.

7  You, O Lord, will keep them;
you will guard ust from this generation forever.
8  On every side the wicked prowl,
as vileness is exalted among the children of man.

Psalm 12

For the music director; according to the sheminith style; a psalm of David.

1 Deliver, Lord!
For the godly have disappeared;
people of integrity have vanished.

2 People lie to one another;
they flatter and deceive.

3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
and the tongue that boasts!

4 They say, “We speak persuasively;
we know how to flatter and boast.
Who is our master?”

5 “Because of the violence done to the oppressed,
because of the painful cries of the needy,
I will spring into action,” says the Lord.
“I will provide the safety they so desperately desire.”

6 The Lord’s words are absolutely reliable.
They are as untainted as silver purified in a furnace on the ground,
where it is thoroughly refined.

7 You, Lord, will protect them;
you will continually shelter each one from these evil people,

8 for the wicked seem to be everywhere,
when people promote evil.