Psalms 12

1 For the music director. To the Sheminith. A psalm of David. Help, Lord, for all the good people have gone! Those who trust in you have disappeared from among the people on earth.

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.

2 Everyone lies to their neighbors. They flatter with nice talk, but they don't mean what they say.

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

3 Stop their flattery, Lord, and silence their boasts—

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

4 these people who say, “We will succeed through what we say; our mouths belong to us. We don't take orders from anyone!”

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

5 “Because of the violence the helpless have suffered, and because of the groans of the poor, I will rise up to defend them,” says the Lord. “I will give them the protection they have been longing for.”

“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.”

6 What the Lord says is trustworthy, as pure as silver refined seven times in a furnace.

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

7 You, Lord will keep the oppressed safe; you will protect us from these kinds of people forever;

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

8 even though the wicked are all around us, and evil is being promoted everywhere.

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