Psalms 12

1 “To the chief musician upon Sheminith, a psalm of David.” Help, O Lord; for the pious have ceased to be; for the truthful have failed 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 amongst the children of men.

2 Deceptively do they speak every one with his neighbor, with flattering lips, with a double heart do they speak.

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

3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaketh boastful 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 be mighty; our lips are with us; who is Lord over us!

who have said, We will magnify our tongue; our lips are our own: who is Lord of us?

5 Because of the oppression of the poor, because of the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord: I will grant safety to him for whom the other layeth a snare.

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 pure words, as silver refined in the crucible 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, O Lord, wilt preserve them; thou wilt guard them from this generation for ever.

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

8 On every side do the wicked walk about, when the vile are exalted over the sons of man.

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