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 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.

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

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

3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaketh boastful things:

Stop their flattery, Lord, and silence their boasts—

4 Who have said, With our tongue will we be mighty; our lips are with us; who is Lord over us!

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

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 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.”

6 The words of the Lord are pure words, as silver refined in the crucible of earth, purified seven times.

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

7 Thou, O Lord, wilt preserve them; thou wilt guard them from this generation for ever.

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

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

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