Psalms 12
1 Yahweh, help us! [It seems that] people who are loyal to you have all vanished.
For the choirmaster. According to Sheminith. A Psalm of David. Help, O LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.
2 Everyone tells lies to other people; they deceive others by (flattering them/saying good things about them that they know are not true).
They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart.
3 Yahweh, we wish that you would cut off their tongues so that they cannot continue to boast.
May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue.
4 They say, “By telling lies we will get what we want; we control what we say [MTY], so no one can tell us what we should not do!”
They say, “With our tongues we will prevail. We own our lips—who can be our master?”
5 But Yahweh replies, “I have seen the violent things that they have done to helpless people; and I have heard those people groaning, so I will arise and rescue the people who are wanting me to help them.”
“For the cause of the oppressed and for the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,” says the LORD. “I will bring safety to him who yearns.”
6 Yahweh, you always do what you have promised to do; what you have promised is [as precious and pure as] silver that has been heated seven times in a furnace [to get rid of all the] impure material.
The words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace, like gold purified sevenfold.
7 Wicked people strut around [proudly], and people praise them for doing vile/wicked deeds, but Yahweh, [we know that] you will protect/rescue us from those wicked people.
You, O LORD, will keep us; You will forever guard us from this generation.
The wicked wander freely, and vileness is exalted among men.
