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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.

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