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.

To the Overseer, on the octave. — A Psalm of David. Save, Jehovah, for the saintly hath failed, For the stedfast have ceased From the sons of men:

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

Vanity they speak each with his neighbour, Lip of flattery! With heart and heart they speak.

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

Jehovah doth cut off all lips of flattery, A tongue speaking great things,

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

Who said, 'By our tongue we do mightily: Our lips [are] our own; who [is] lord over us?'

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.”

Because of the spoiling of the poor, Because of the groaning of the needy, Now do I arise, saith Jehovah, I set in safety [him who] doth breathe for it.

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

Sayings of Jehovah [are] pure sayings; Silver tried in a furnace of earth refined sevenfold.

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

Thou, O Jehovah, dost preserve them, Thou keepest us from this generation to the age.

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

Around the wicked walk continually, According as vileness is exalted by sons of men!