Psalm 12-14

Common English Bible

Psalm 12

For the music leader. According to the Sheminith.^[a] A psalm of David.

12 Help, Lord, because the godly are all gone;
    the faithful have completely disappeared
    from the human race!
²Everyone tells lies to everyone else;
    they talk with slick speech and divided hearts.
³Let the Lord cut off all slick-talking lips
    and every tongue that brags and brags,
⁴    that says, “We’re unbeatable with our tongues!
    Who could get the best of us with lips like ours?”

⁵But the Lord says,
    “Because the poor are oppressed,
    because of the groans of the needy,
    I’m now standing up.
    I will provide the help they are gasping for.”^[b]
⁶The Lord’s promises are pure,
    like silver that’s been refined in an oven,
    purified seven times over!

⁷You, Lord, will keep us,^[c]
protecting us from this generation forever.
⁸The wicked roam all over the place,
while depravity is praised by human beings.

Psalm 13

For the music leader. A song of David.

13 How long will you forget me, Lord? Forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
²How long will I be left to my own wits,
agony filling my heart? Daily?
How long will my enemy keep defeating me?

³Look at me!
    Answer me, Lord my God!
Restore sight to my eyes!
    Otherwise, I’ll sleep the sleep of death,
⁴        and my enemy will say, “I won!”
        My foes will rejoice over my downfall.

⁵But I have trusted in your faithful love.
My heart will rejoice in your salvation.
⁶Yes, I will sing to the Lord
because he has been good to me.

Psalm 14

For the music leader. Of David.

14 Fools say in their hearts, There is no God.
They are corrupt and do evil things;
not one of them does anything good.

²The Lord looks down from heaven on humans
    to see if anyone is wise,
    to see if anyone seeks God,
³        but all of them have turned bad.
        Everyone is corrupt.
        No one does good—
        not even one person!

⁴Are they dumb, all these evildoers,
    devouring my people
    like they are eating bread
        but never calling on the Lord?

⁵Count on it:^[d] they will be in utter panic
    because God is with the righteous generation.
⁶You evildoers may humiliate
    the plans of those who suffer,
        but the Lord is their refuge.

⁷Let Israel’s salvation come out of Zion!
        When the Lord changes
        his people’s circumstances for the better,
        Jacob will rejoice;
        Israel will celebrate!

Footnotes

Psalm 12:1 Perhaps a reference to an eight-string instrument; also in Ps 6
Psalm 12:5 Heb uncertain
Psalm 12:7 LXX; MT keep them
Psalm 14:5 Or There they will be; cf 53:5

Psalm 12-14

New International Version

Psalm 12^[a]

For the director of music. According to sheminith.^[b] A psalm of David.

¹Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore;^(A)
    those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.
²Everyone lies^(B) to their neighbor;
    they flatter with their lips
    but harbor deception in their hearts.^(C)

³May the Lord silence all flattering lips^(D)
    and every boastful tongue—^(E)
⁴those who say,
    “By our tongues we will prevail;^(F)
    our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”

⁵“Because the poor are plundered^(G) and the needy groan,^(H)
    I will now arise,^(I)” says the Lord.
    “I will protect them^(J) from those who malign them.”
⁶And the words of the Lord are flawless,^(K)
    like silver purified^(L) in a crucible,^(M)
    like gold^[c] refined seven times.

⁷You, Lord, will keep the needy safe^(N)
and will protect us forever from the wicked,^(O)
⁸who freely strut^(P) about
when what is vile is honored by the human race.

Psalm 13^[d]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹How long,^(Q) Lord? Will you forget me^(R) forever?
    How long will you hide your face^(S) from me?
²How long must I wrestle with my thoughts^(T)
    and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
    How long will my enemy triumph over me?^(U)

³Look on me^(V) and answer,^(W) Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes,^(X) or I will sleep in death,^(Y)
⁴and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,^(Z)”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.^(AA)

⁵But I trust in your unfailing love;^(AB)
my heart rejoices in your salvation.^(AC)
⁶I will sing^(AD) the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.

Psalm 14^(AE)

For the director of music. Of David.

¹The fool^[e] says in his heart,
“There is no God.”^(AF)
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.

²The Lord looks down from heaven^(AG)
    on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,^(AH)
    any who seek God.^(AI)
³All have turned away,^(AJ) all have become corrupt;^(AK)
    there is no one who does good,^(AL)
    not even one.^(AM)

⁴Do all these evildoers know nothing?^(AN)

They devour my people^(AO) as though eating bread;
    they never call on the Lord.^(AP)
⁵But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
    for God is present in the company of the righteous.
⁶You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
    but the Lord is their refuge.^(AQ)

⁷Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!^(AR)
When the Lord restores^(AS) his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Footnotes

Psalm 12:1 In Hebrew texts 12:1-8 is numbered 12:2-9.
Psalm 12:1 Title: Probably a musical term
Psalm 12:6 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text earth
Psalm 13:1 In Hebrew texts 13:1-6 is numbered 13:2-6.
Psalm 14:1 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Psalms denote one who is morally deficient.

Common English Bible (CEB)

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 12-14

Common English Bible

Psalm 12

For the music leader. According to the Sheminith.^[a] A psalm of David.

Psalm 13

For the music leader. A song of David.

Psalm 14

For the music leader. Of David.

Footnotes

Psalm 12-14

New International Version

Psalm 12^[a]

For the director of music. According to sheminith.^[b] A psalm of David.

Psalm 13^[d]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Psalm 14^(AE)

For the director of music. Of David.

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Psalm 12-14 Common English Bible

Psalm 12

For the music leader. According to the Sheminith.[a] A psalm of David.

Psalm 13

For the music leader. A song of David.

Psalm 14

For the music leader. Of David.

Footnotes

Psalm 12-14 New International Version

Psalm 12[a]

For the director of music. According to sheminith.[b] A psalm of David.

Psalm 13[d]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Psalm 14(AE)

For the director of music. Of David.

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Psalm 12-14

Common English Bible

For the music leader. According to the Sheminith.^[a] A psalm of David.

Psalm 12-14

New International Version

Psalm 12^[a]

For the director of music. According to sheminith.^[b] A psalm of David.

Psalm 13^[d]

Psalm 14^(AE)