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For the Chief Musician; upon an eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm of David.

12 Help, Yahweh; for the godly man ceases.
    For the faithful fail from among the children of men.
Everyone lies to his neighbor.
    They speak with flattering lips, and with a double heart.
May Yahweh cut off all flattering lips,
    and the tongue that boasts,
who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail.
    Our lips are our own.
    Who is lord over us?”
“Because of the oppression of the weak and because of the groaning of the needy,
    I will now arise,” says Yahweh;
“I will set him in safety from those who malign him.”
Yahweh’s words are flawless words,
    as silver refined in a clay furnace, purified seven times.
You will keep them, Yahweh.
    You will preserve them from this generation forever.
The wicked walk on every side,
    when what is vile is exalted among the sons of men.

Psalm 12

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by an eight-stringed instrument.[a]

Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing!
    The faithful have vanished from the earth!
Neighbors lie to each other,
    speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts.
May the Lord cut off their flattering lips
    and silence their boastful tongues.
They say, “We will lie to our hearts’ content.
    Our lips are our own—who can stop us?”

The Lord replies, “I have seen violence done to the helpless,
    and I have heard the groans of the poor.
Now I will rise up to rescue them,
    as they have longed for me to do.”
The Lord’s promises are pure,
    like silver refined in a furnace,
    purified seven times over.
Therefore, Lord, we know you will protect the oppressed,
    preserving them forever from this lying generation,
even though the wicked strut about,
    and evil is praised throughout the land.

Footnotes

  1. 12:Title Hebrew according to the sheminith.