Psalms 12

1 For the choirmaster. According to Sheminith. A Psalm of David. Help, O LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.

Help, Jehovah, for the holy man ceases, for the faithful fail from among the sons of men.

2 They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart.

They speak falsehood everyone with his neighbor. With flattering lip, and with a double heart, they speak.

3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue.

Jehovah will cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaks great things,

4 They say, “With our tongues we will prevail. We own our lips—who can be our master?”

who have said, With our tongue will we prevail. Our lips are our own. Who is lord over us?

5 “For the cause of the oppressed and for the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,” says the LORD. “I will bring safety to him who yearns.”

Because of the oppression of the poor, because of the sighing of the needy, now I will arise, says Jehovah. I will set him in the safety he gasps for.

6 The words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace, like gold purified sevenfold.

The words of Jehovah are pure words, as silver tried in a furnace on the earth, purified seven times.

7 You, O LORD, will keep us; You will forever guard us from this generation.

Thou will keep them, O Jehovah. Thou will preserve them from this generation forever.

8 The wicked wander freely, and vileness is exalted among men.

The wicked walk on every side when vileness is exalted among the sons of men.