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Psalm 12

For the Music Director. According to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David.

Help, Lord, for the godly man comes to an end,
    for the faithful disappear from sons of men.
They speak empty words, each with his own neighbor;
    they speak with flattering lips and a double heart.

The Lord will cut off all flattering lips,
    and the tongue that speaks proud things,
who have said, “With our tongue will we prevail;
    our lips are in our control, who is master over us?”

“Because the poor are plundered,
    because the needy sigh,
now I will arise,” says the Lord;
    “I will place him in the safety for which he yearns.”
The words of the Lord are pure words;
    they are silver tried in an earthen furnace
    refined seven times.

You will keep them, O Lord;
    You will preserve them from this generation.
The wicked walk on every side,
    when the worthless of mankind are exalted.

God a helper against the treacherous.

For the Chief Musician; set to [a]the Sheminith. A Psalm of David.

12 Help, Jehovah; for the godly man ceaseth;
For [b]the faithful fail from among the children of men.
They speak falsehood every one with his neighbor:
With flattering lip, and with a double heart, do they speak.
Jehovah will cut off all flattering lips,
The tongue that speaketh great things;
Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail;
Our lips are [c]our own: who is lord over us?
Because of the oppression of the poor, because of the sighing of the needy,
Now will I arise, saith Jehovah;
I will set him in the safety he panteth for.
The words of Jehovah are pure words;
As silver tried in a furnace on the earth,
Purified seven times.
Thou wilt keep them, O Jehovah,
Thou wilt preserve them from this generation for ever.
The wicked walk on every side,
When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 12:1 Or, the eighth
  2. Psalm 12:1 Or, faithfulness faileth
  3. Psalm 12:4 Hebrew with us.