Psalms 12

1 For the Chief Musician; upon an eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm of David. Help, LORD; for the godly man ceases. For the faithful fail from amongst 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 Everyone lies to his neighbour. They speak with flattering lips, and with a double heart.

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, and the tongue that boasts,

Let the Lord destroy all the deceitful lips, and the tongue that speaks great words:

4 who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail. Our lips are our own. 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 weak and because of the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,” says the LORD; “I will set him in safety from those who malign him.”

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 LORD’s words are flawless words, as silver refined in a clay furnace, 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 You will keep them, LORD. You will preserve them from this generation forever.

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

8 The wicked walk on every side, when what is vile is exalted amongst the sons of men.

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