Waiata 12

1 Ki te tino kaiwhakatangi. Heminiti. He himene na Rawiri. Whakaorangia, e Ihowa; ka mutu hoki nga tangata tapu; ka taweke atu te hunga pono i roto i nga tama a te tangata.

For the music director. To the Sheminith. A psalm of David. Help, Lord, for all the good people have gone! Those who trust in you have disappeared from among the people on earth.

2 E korero teka ana ratou tetahi ki tetahi; he ngutu patipati, he ngakau rua o ratou ina korero.

Everyone lies to their neighbors. They flatter with nice talk, but they don't mean what they say.

3 Ka hatepea e Ihowa nga ngutu patipati katoa, me te arero e korero whakapehapeha ana;

Stop their flattery, Lord, and silence their boasts—

4 E mea nei, Ma o tatou arero tatou ka kake ai; no tatou ano o tatou ngutu, ko wai hei ariki mo tatou?

these people who say, “We will succeed through what we say; our mouths belong to us. We don't take orders from anyone!”

5 Mo te tukinotanga i te hunga iti, mo te aue a te hunga rawakore, ka whakatika ahau aianei, e ai ta Ihowa, Ka whakanohoia ia e ahau ki te wahi e ora ai ia i nga tangata e whakatupereru ana ki a ia.

“Because of the violence the helpless have suffered, and because of the groans of the poor, I will rise up to defend them,” says the Lord. “I will give them the protection they have been longing for.”

6 He kupu parakore nga kupu a Ihowa: he hiriwa i whakakorea nei te para i roto i te oumu whenua, he mea tuku whitu.

What the Lord says is trustworthy, as pure as silver refined seven times in a furnace.

7 Ka tiakina ratou e koe, e Ihowa, ka whakaorangia ratou i tenei whakatupuranga ake tonu atu.

You, Lord will keep the oppressed safe; you will protect us from these kinds of people forever;

8 E haereere noa ana nga tangata kino i tetahi taha, i tetahi taha, i te mea e whakateiteitia ana te kino i roto i nga tama a te tangata.

even though the wicked are all around us, and evil is being promoted everywhere.