< 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.
Yahweh, help us! [It seems that] people who are loyal to you have all vanished.
2 They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart.
Everyone tells lies to other people; they deceive others by (flattering them/saying good things about them that they know are not true).
3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue.
Yahweh, we wish that you would cut off their tongues so that they cannot continue to boast.
4 They say, “With our tongues we will prevail. We own our lips—who can be our master?”
They say, “By telling lies we will get what we want; we control what we say [MTY], so no one can tell us what we should not do!”
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.”
But Yahweh replies, “I have seen the violent things that they have done to helpless people; and I have heard those people groaning, so I will arise and rescue the people who are wanting me to help them.”
6 The words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace, like gold purified sevenfold.
Yahweh, you always do what you have promised to do; what you have promised is [as precious and pure as] silver that has been heated seven times in a furnace [to get rid of all the] impure material.
7 You, O LORD, will keep us; You will forever guard us from this generation.
Wicked people strut around [proudly], and people praise them for doing vile/wicked deeds, but Yahweh, [we know that] you will protect/rescue us from those wicked people.
8 The wicked wander freely, and vileness is exalted among men.