Psalm 12-17
New American Standard Bible
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.
2 They (B)speak [b]lies to one another;
They speak with [c](C)flattering lips and a double heart.
3 May the Lord cut off all [d]flattering lips,
The tongue that (D)speaks great things;
4 Who (E)have said, “With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are [e]our own; who is lord over us?”
5 “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.”
6 The (I)words of the Lord are pure words;
Like silver (J)refined in a furnace on the ground, filtered seven times.
7 You, Lord, will keep them;
You will (K)protect him from this generation forever.
8 The (L)wicked strut about on every side
When [f](M)vileness is exalted among the sons of mankind.
Prayer for Help in Trouble.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
13 How long, Lord? Will You (N)forget me forever?
How long (O)will You hide Your face from me?
2 How long am I to (P)feel anxious in my soul,
With (Q)grief in my heart all the day?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
3 (R)Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
(S)Enlighten my eyes, or I will (T)sleep the sleep of death,
4 And my enemy will (U)say, “I have overcome him,”
And (V)my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.
5 But I have (W)trusted in Your faithfulness;
My heart shall (X)rejoice in Your salvation.
6 I will (Y)sing to the Lord,
Because He has (Z)looked after me.
Foolishness and Wickedness of People.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
14 The fool has (AA)said in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they have committed detestable acts;
There is (AB)no one who does good.
2 The Lord has (AC)looked down from heaven upon the sons of mankind
To see if there are any who [g](AD)understand,
Who (AE)seek God.
3 They have all (AF)turned aside, together they are corrupt;
There is (AG)no one who does good, not even one.
4 Do all the workers of injustice (AH)not know,
Who (AI)devour my people as they eat bread,
And (AJ)do not call upon the Lord?
5 There they are in great dread,
For God is with a (AK)righteous generation.
6 You would put to shame the plan of the poor,
But the Lord is his (AL)refuge.
7 Oh, that (AM)the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When the Lord (AN)restores the fortunes of His people,
Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad.
Description of a Citizen of Zion.
A Psalm of David.
15 Lord, who may reside (AO)in Your tent?
Who may settle on Your (AP)holy hill?
2 One who (AQ)walks with integrity, practices righteousness,
And (AR)speaks truth in his heart.
3 He (AS)does not slander [h]with his tongue,
Nor (AT)do evil to his neighbor,
Nor (AU)bring shame on his friend;
4 A despicable person is despised in his eyes,
But he (AV)honors those who fear the Lord;
He (AW)takes an oath to his own detriment, and does not change;
5 He (AX)does not [i]lend his money [j]at interest,
Nor (AY)does he take a bribe against the innocent.
(AZ)One who does these things will never be shaken.
The Lord, the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Salvation in Death.
A [k]Mikhtam of David.
16 (BA)Protect me, God, for (BB)I take refuge in You.
2 [l]I said to the Lord, “You are [m]my Lord;
I (BC)have nothing good besides You.”
3 As for the [n](BD)saints who are on the earth,
[o]They are the majestic ones; (BE)all my delight is in them.
4 [p]The (BF)pains of those who have acquired another god will be multiplied;
I will not pour out their drink offerings of (BG)blood,
Nor will I (BH)take their names upon my lips.
5 The Lord is the (BI)portion of my inheritance and my (BJ)cup;
You support my (BK)lot.
6 The measuring (BL)lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my inheritance is (BM)beautiful to me.
7 I will bless the Lord who has (BN)advised me;
Indeed, my [q](BO)mind instructs me in the night.
8 (BP)I have (BQ)set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is (BR)at my right hand, (BS)I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore (BT)my heart is glad and (BU)my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will (BV)dwell securely.
10 For You (BW)will not abandon my soul to [r]Sheol;
You will not [s](BX)allow Your [t]Holy One to [u]undergo decay.
11 You will make known to me (BY)the way of life;
In (BZ)Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are (CA)pleasures forever.
Prayer for Protection against Oppressors.
A Prayer of David.
17 Hear a (CB)just cause, Lord, (CC)give Your attention to my cry;
(CD)Listen to my prayer, which is not from (CE)deceitful lips.
2 Let (CF)my [v]judgment come forth from Your presence;
Let Your eyes look with (CG)integrity.
3 You have (CH)put my heart to the test;
You have visited me by night;
You have (CI)sifted me and (CJ)You find [w]nothing;
My (CK)intent is that my mouth will not offend.
4 As for the works of mankind, (CL)by the word of Your lips
I have kept from the (CM)ways of the violent.
5 My (CN)steps have held to Your [x]paths.
My (CO)feet have not slipped.
6 I have (CP)called upon You, for You will answer me, God;
(CQ)Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.
7 (CR)Show Your wonderful faithfulness,
(CS)Savior of those who take refuge [y]at Your right hand
From those who rise up against them.
8 Keep me as [z]the (CT)apple of the eye;
Hide me (CU)in the shadow of Your wings
9 From the (CV)wicked who deal violently with me,
My (CW)deadly enemies who surround me.
10 They have (CX)closed their [aa]unfeeling hearts,
With their mouths they (CY)speak proudly.
11 They have now (CZ)surrounded us in our steps;
They set their eyes (DA)to cast us down to the ground.
12 He is (DB)like a lion that is eager to tear,
And as a young lion (DC)lurking in secret places.
13 (DD)Arise, Lord, confront him, (DE)make him bow down;
(DF)Save my soul from the wicked with (DG)Your sword,
14 From people by (DH)Your hand, Lord,
From people [ab]of the world, (DI)whose portion is in this life,
And whose belly You (DJ)fill with Your treasure;
They are satisfied with children,
And leave their abundance to their babies.
15 As for me, I shall (DK)behold Your face in righteousness;
(DL)I shall be satisfied with Your (DM)likeness when I awake.
Footnotes
- 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 14:2 Or act wisely
- Psalm 15:3 Lit according to
- Psalm 15:5 Lit give
- Psalm 15:5 I.e., to a fellow Israelite
- Psalm 16 Title Possibly Epigrammatic Poem or Atonement Psalm
- Psalm 16:2 Or O my soul, you said
- Psalm 16:2 Or the Lord
- Psalm 16:3 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Psalm 16:3 Lit They, even the
- Psalm 16:4 Lit Their pains, they who acquired
- Psalm 16:7 Lit kidneys, figurative for inner man
- Psalm 16:10 I.e., the netherworld
- Psalm 16:10 Lit give
- Psalm 16:10 Or godly one
- Psalm 16:10 Or see corruption; or the pit
- Psalm 17:2 I.e., vindication
- Psalm 17:3 Or no shameful act in me; My mouth
- Psalm 17:5 Lit tracks
- Psalm 17:7 Or from those who rise up...at Your right hand
- Psalm 17:8 Lit the pupil, the daughter of the eye
- Psalm 17:10 Lit fat
- Psalm 17:14 Or whose portion in life is of the world
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