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:

To the victorie on the eiyte, the song of Dauid. Lord, make thou me saaf, for the hooli failide; for treuthis ben maad litle fro the sones of men.

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

Thei spaken veyn thingis, ech man to hys neiybore; thei han gileful lippis, thei spaken in herte and herte.

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

The Lord destrie alle gileful lippis; and the greet spekynge tunge.

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

Whiche seiden, We schulen magnyfie oure tunge, our lippis ben of vs; who is oure lord?

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.

For the wretchednesse of nedy men, and for the weilyng of pore men; now Y schal ryse vp, seith the Lord. I schal sette inhelt he; Y schal do tristili in hym.

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

The spechis of the Lord ben chast spechis; siluer examynyd bi fier, preued fro erthe, purgid seuen fold.

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

Thou, Lord, schalt kepe vs; and thou `schalt kepe vs fro this generacioun with outen ende.

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

Wickid men goen in cumpas; bi thin hiynesse thou hast multiplied the sones of men.