Man’s Treachery and God’s Constancy

To the Chief Musician. (A)On [a]an eight-stringed harp. A Psalm of David.

12 Help,[b] Lord, for the godly man (B)ceases!
For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.
(C)They speak idly everyone with his neighbor;
With flattering lips and [c]a double heart they speak.

May the Lord [d]cut off all flattering lips,
And the tongue that speaks [e]proud things,
Who have said,
“With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own;
Who is lord over us?”

“For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy,
Now I will arise,” says the Lord;
“I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”

The words of the Lord are (D)pure words,
Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,
Purified seven times.
You shall keep them, O Lord,
You shall preserve them from this generation forever.

The wicked prowl on every side,
When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 12:1 Heb. sheminith
  2. Psalm 12:1 Save
  3. Psalm 12:2 An inconsistent mind
  4. Psalm 12:3 destroy
  5. Psalm 12:3 great

God, a Helper against the Treacherous.

For the music director; [a]upon an eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm of David.

12 Help, Lord, for (A)the godly person has come to an end,
For the faithful have disappeared from the sons of mankind.
They (B)speak [b]lies to one another;
They speak with [c](C)flattering lips and a double heart.
May the Lord cut off all [d]flattering lips,
The tongue that (D)speaks great things;
Who (E)have said, “With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are [e]our own; who is lord over us?”
“Because of the (F)devastation of the poor, because of the groaning of the needy,
Now (G)I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will (H)put him in the safety for which he longs.”

The (I)words of the Lord are pure words;
Like silver (J)refined in a furnace on the ground, filtered seven times.
You, Lord, will keep them;
You will (K)protect him from this generation forever.
The (L)wicked strut about on every side
When [f](M)vileness is exalted among the sons of mankind.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 12 Title Or according to a lower octave (Heb Sheminith)
  2. Psalm 12:2 Lit worthless speech
  3. Psalm 12:2 Lit a smooth lip
  4. Psalm 12:3 Lit a smooth lip
  5. Psalm 12:4 Lit with us
  6. Psalm 12:8 Or worthlessness

Молитва във време на беда

12 (A)За първия певец, на осмострунна арфа[a].

Давидов псалом.
Помогни, Господи; защото не остана вече благочестив;
защото се губят верните измежду човешките синове.
(B)Всеки говори лъжа на ближния си;
с ласкателни устни говорят от двулично сърце.
(C)Господ ще изтреби всички ласкателни устни,
език, който говори големи неща.
На онези, които са казвали: Ще надвием с езика си;
устните ни са наши; кой е господар над нас?
(D)Поради насилието над сиромасите, поради въздишките на нуждаещите се
сега ще стана, казва Господ;
ще сложа в безопасност онзи, когото презират[b].
(E)Господните думи са чисти думи –
като сребро, претопено в пещ от пръст,
пречистено седем пъти.
Ти, Господи, ще ги закриляш,
ще пазиш всеки от тях от това поколение до века,
при все че нечестивите ходят свободно от всяка страна,
понеже безчестието се въздига между човешките синове.

Footnotes

  1. 12:1 Пс. 6, надписът.
  2. 12:5 От евр. срещу когото духат.