< Psalms 12 >
1 Help, YHWH; for the righteous man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of 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 speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
Every one has spoken vanity to his neighbor: their lips are deceitful, they have spoken with a double heart.
3 YHWH shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:
Let the Lord destroy all the deceitful lips, and the tongue that speaks great words:
4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is master over us?
who have said, We will magnify our tongue; our lips are our own: who is Lord of us?
5 For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith YHWH; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.
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 YHWH are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
The oracles of the Lord are pure oracles; as silver tried in the fire, proved [in] a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
7 Thou shalt keep them, O YHWH, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
You, O Lord, shall keep us, and shall preserve us, from this generation, and for ever.
8 The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.
The ungodly walk around: according to your greatness you has greatly exalted the sons of men.