Psalm 12-13

New American Standard Bible

God, a Helper against the Treacherous.

For the music director; ^[a]upon an eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm of David.

12 Help, Lord, for ^(A)the godly person has come to an end,
For the faithful have disappeared from the sons of mankind.
²They ^(B)speak ^[b]lies to one another;
They speak with ^[c]^(C)flattering lips and a double heart.
³May the Lord cut off all ^[d]flattering lips,
The tongue that ^(D)speaks great things;
⁴Who ^(E)have said, “With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are ^[e]our own; who is lord over us?”
⁵“Because of the ^(F)devastation of the poor, because of the groaning of the needy,
Now ^(G)I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will ^(H)put him in the safety for which he longs.”

⁶The ^(I)words of the Lord are pure words;
Like silver ^(J)refined in a furnace on the ground, filtered seven times.
⁷You, Lord, will keep them;
You will ^(K)protect him from this generation forever.
⁸The ^(L)wicked strut about on every side
When ^[f]^(M)vileness is exalted among the sons of mankind.

Prayer for Help in Trouble.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

13 How long, Lord? Will You ^(N)forget me forever?
How long ^(O)will You hide Your face from me?
²How long am I to ^(P)feel anxious in my soul,
With ^(Q)grief in my heart all the day?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

³^(R)Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
^(S)Enlighten my eyes, or I will ^(T)sleep the sleep of death,
⁴And my enemy will ^(U)say, “I have overcome him,”
And ^(V)my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.

⁵But I have ^(W)trusted in Your faithfulness;
My heart shall ^(X)rejoice in Your salvation.
⁶I will ^(Y)sing to the Lord,
Because He has ^(Z)looked after me.