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.

For the end, A Psalm of David, upon the eighth. Save me, O Lord; for the godly man has failed; for truth is diminished from among the children of men.

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

Every one has spoken vanity to his neighbor: their lips are deceitful, they have spoken with a double heart.

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

Let the Lord destroy all the deceitful lips, and the tongue that speaks great words:

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

who have said, We will magnify our tongue; our lips are our own: who is Lord of 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 misery of the poor, and because of the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, says the Lord, I will set [them] in safety; I will speak [to them] thereof openly.

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

The oracles of the Lord are pure oracles; as silver tried in the fire, proved [in] a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

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

You, O Lord, shall keep us, and shall preserve us, from this generation, and for ever.

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

The ungodly walk around: according to your greatness you has greatly exalted the sons of men.