Psalms 12

1 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.

Yahweh, help us! [It seems that] people who are loyal to you have all vanished.

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

Everyone tells lies to other people; they deceive others by (flattering them/saying good things about them that they know are not true).

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

Yahweh, we wish that you would cut off their tongues so that they cannot continue to boast.

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

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!”

5 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.

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.”

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

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.

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

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.

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