Psalm 11-12
New American Standard Bible
The Lord, a Refuge and Defense.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
11 In the Lord I (A)take refuge;
How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your (B)mountain?
2 For, behold, the wicked (C)bend the bow,
They have [a](D)set their arrow on the string
To (E)shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.
3 If the (F)foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?”
4 The Lord is in His (G)holy temple; the [b]Lord’s (H)throne is in heaven;
His (I)eyes see, His eyelids test the sons of mankind.
5 The Lord (J)tests the righteous and (K)the wicked,
And His soul hates one who loves violence.
6 He will (L)rain [c]coals of fire upon the wicked,
(M)And brimstone and (N)burning wind will be the portion of (O)their cup.
7 For the Lord is (P)righteous, (Q)He loves [d]righteousness;
The upright will (R)see His face.
God, a Helper against the Treacherous.
For the music director; [e]upon an eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm of David.
12 Help, Lord, for (S)the godly person has come to an end,
For the faithful have disappeared from the sons of mankind.
2 They (T)speak [f]lies to one another;
They speak with [g](U)flattering lips and a double heart.
3 May the Lord cut off all [h]flattering lips,
The tongue that (V)speaks great things;
4 Who (W)have said, “With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are [i]our own; who is lord over us?”
5 “Because of the (X)devastation of the poor, because of the groaning of the needy,
Now (Y)I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will (Z)put him in the safety for which he longs.”
6 The (AA)words of the Lord are pure words;
Like silver (AB)refined in a furnace on the ground, filtered seven times.
7 You, Lord, will keep them;
You will (AC)protect him from this generation forever.
8 The (AD)wicked strut about on every side
When [j](AE)vileness is exalted among the sons of mankind.
Footnotes
- Psalm 11:2 Or fixed
- Psalm 11:4 Lit Lord, His throne
- Psalm 11:6 As in a Gr version; MT snares; Fire and
- Psalm 11:7 Or righteous deeds
- Psalm 12 Title Or according to a lower octave (Heb Sheminith)
- Psalm 12:2 Lit worthless speech
- Psalm 12:2 Lit a smooth lip
- Psalm 12:3 Lit a smooth lip
- Psalm 12:4 Lit with us
- Psalm 12:8 Or worthlessness
Psalm 11-12
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 11
Song of Trust in God
To the leader. Of David.
1 In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to me,
“Flee like a bird to the mountains,[a](A)
2 for look, the wicked bend the bow,
they have fitted their arrow to the string,
to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart.(B)
3 If the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”(C)
4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord’s throne is in heaven.
His eyes behold; his gaze examines humankind.(D)
5 The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked,
and his soul hates the lover of violence.(E)
6 On the wicked he will rain coals of fire and sulfur;
a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.(F)
7 For the Lord is righteous;
he loves righteous deeds;
the upright shall behold his face.(G)
Psalm 12
Plea for Help in Evil Times
To the leader: according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David.
1 Help, O Lord, for there is no longer anyone who is godly;
the faithful have disappeared from humankind.(H)
2 They utter lies to each other;
with flattering lips and a deceitful heart they speak.(I)
3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
the tongue that makes great boasts,(J)
4 those who say, “With our tongues we will prevail;
our lips are our own—who is our master?”
5 “Because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan,
I will now rise up,” says the Lord;
“I will place them in the safety for which they long.”(K)
6 The promises of the Lord are promises that are pure,
silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
purified seven times.(L)
7 You, O Lord, will protect us;
you will guard us from this generation forever.(M)
8 On every side the wicked prowl,
as vileness is exalted among humankind.(N)
Footnotes
- 11.1 Gk Syr Jerome Tg: Heb flee to your mountain, O bird
Psalm 11-12
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
11 Unto the end; for the octave, a psalm for David.
2 Save me, O Lord, for there is now no saint: truths are decayed from among the children of men.
3 They have spoken vain things every one to his neighbour: with deceitful lips, and with a double heart have they spoken.
4 May the Lord destroy all deceitful lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things.
5 Who have said: We will magnify our tongue; our lips are our own; who is Lord over us?
6 By reason of the misery of the needy, and the groans of the poor, now will I arise, saith the Lord. I win set him in safety; I will deal confidently in his regard.
7 The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried by the fire, purged from the earth refined seven times.
8 Thou, O Lord, wilt preserve us: and keep us from this generation for ever.
9 The wicked walk round about: according to thy highness, thou hast multiplied the children of men.
12 Unto the end, a psalm for David. How long, O Lord, wilt thou forget me unto the end? how long dost thou turn away thy face from me?
2 How long shall I take counsels in my soul, sorrow in my heart all the day?
3 How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
4 Consider, and hear me, O Lord my God. Enlighten my eyes that I never sleep in death:
5 Lest at any time my enemy say: I have prevailed against him. They that trouble me will rejoice when I am moved:
6 But I have trusted in thy mercy. My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation: I will sing to the Lord, who giveth me good things: yea I will sing to the name of the Lord the most high.
Psalm 11-12
The Message
11 1-3 I’ve already run for dear life
straight to the arms of God.
So why would I run away now
when you say,
“Run to the mountains; the evil
bows are bent, the wicked arrows
Aimed to shoot under cover of darkness
at every heart open to God.
The bottom’s dropped out of the country;
good people don’t have a chance”?
4-6 But God hasn’t moved to the mountains;
his holy address hasn’t changed.
He’s in charge, as always, his eyes
taking everything in, his eyelids
Unblinking, examining Adam’s flesh and blood
inside and out, not missing a thing.
He tests the good and the bad alike;
if anyone cheats, God’s outraged.
Fail the test and you’re out,
out in a hail of firestones,
Drinking from a canteen
filled with hot desert wind.
7 God’s business is putting things right;
he loves getting the lines straight,
Setting us straight. Once we’re standing tall,
we can look him straight in the eye.
12 1-2 Quick, God, I need your helping hand!
The last decent person just went down,
All the friends I depended on gone.
Everyone talks in lie language;
Lies slide off their oily lips.
They doubletalk with forked tongues.
3-4 Slice their lips off their faces! Pull
The braggart tongues from their mouths!
I’m tired of hearing, “We can talk anyone into anything!
Our lips manage the world.”
5 Into the hovels of the poor,
Into the dark streets where the homeless groan, God speaks:
“I’ve had enough; I’m on my way
To heal the ache in the heart of the wretched.”
6-8 God’s words are pure words,
Pure silver words refined seven times
In the fires of his word-kiln,
Pure on earth as well as in heaven.
God, keep us safe from their lies,
From the wicked who stalk us with lies,
From the wicked who collect honors
For their wonderful lies.
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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