Psalms 12

1 TO THE OVERSEER. ON THE EIGHTH. A PSALM OF DAVID. Save, YHWH, for the saintly has failed, For the steadfast have ceased From the sons of men:

Unto the end. For the octave. A Psalm of David. Save me, O Lord, because holiness has passed away, because truths have been diminished, before the sons of men.

2 They each speak vanity with his neighbor, Lip of flattery! With heart and heart they speak.

They have been speaking emptiness, each one to his neighbor; they have been speaking with deceitful lips and a duplicitous heart.

3 YHWH cuts off all lips of flattery, A tongue speaking great things,

May the Lord scatter all deceitful lips, along with the tongue that speaks malice.

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

They have said: “We will magnify our tongue; our lips belong to us. What is Lord to us?”

5 Because of the spoiling of the poor, Because of the groaning of the needy, Now I arise, says YHWH, I set in safety [him who] breathes for it.

Because of the misery of the destitute and the groaning of the poor, now I will arise, says the Lord. I will place him in safety. I will act faithfully toward him.

6 Sayings of YHWH [are] pure sayings—Silver tried in a furnace of earth, refined sevenfold.

The eloquence of the Lord is pure eloquence, silver tested by fire, purged from the earth, refined seven times.

7 You, O YHWH, preserve them, You keep us from this generation for all time.

You, O Lord, will preserve us, and you will guard us from this generation into eternity.

8 The wicked walk around continually, According as vileness is exalted by sons of men!

The impious wander aimlessly. According to your loftiness, you have multiplied the sons of men.