Psalm 12-13

Easy-to-Read Version

To the director: With the sheminith. A song of David.

12 Save me, Lord!
    We can no longer trust anyone!
    All the good, loyal people are gone.
²People lie to their neighbors.
    They say whatever they think people want to hear.
³The Lord should cut off their lying lips
    and cut out their bragging tongues.
⁴Those people think they can win any argument.
They say, “We are so good with words,
    no one will be our master.”

⁵They took advantage of the poor
    and stole what little they had.
But the Lord knows what they did, and he says,
    “I will rescue those who are poor and helpless,
    and I will punish those who hurt them.”^[a]

⁶The Lord’s words are true and pure,
like silver purified by fire,
like silver melted seven times to make it perfectly pure.

⁷Lord, take care of the helpless.
Protect them forever from the wicked people in this world.
⁸The wicked are all around us,
and everyone thinks evil is something to be praised!

To the director: A song of David.

13 How long will you forget me, Lord?
Will you forget me forever?
How long will you refuse to accept me?^[b]
²How long must I wonder if you have forgotten me?
How long must I feel this sadness in my heart?
How long will my enemy win against me?

³Lord my God, look at me and give me an answer.
Make me feel strong again, or I will die.
⁴If that happens, my enemy will say, “I beat him!”
He will be so happy that he won.

⁵But I trust in your faithful love, Lord.
I will be happy when you save me.
⁶Then I will sing to the Lord
because he was so good to me.

Footnotes

Psalm 12:5 I will rescue … hurt them Or “I will rescue poor, helpless people who were hurt and asked me for help.”
Psalm 13:1 refuse to accept me Literally, “hide your face from me.”