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!