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Human Faithlessness and God’s Faithfulness

For the music director; on the Sheminith.[a] A psalm of David.[b]

12 Save, O Yahweh, for the pious have ceased to be;
for the faithful have vanished
from among the children of humankind.
They speak falseness to each other.[c]
With flattering lips,
with a double heart[d] they speak.
May Yahweh cut off all flattering lips,
the tongue speaking great boasts—
those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail.
Our lips are on our side.
Who is master over us?”
“Because of the oppression of the afflicted,
because of the groaning of the poor,
now I will rise up,” Yahweh says.
“I shall put them in the safety for which they[e] long.”
The words of Yahweh are pure words
like silver refined in the crucible on the ground,
refined seven times.
You, O Yahweh, will protect them.
You will preserve him[f]
from this generation always.
The wicked prowl about
when vileness is exalted among the children of humankind.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 12:1 Meaning uncertain
  2. Psalm 12:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
  3. Psalm 12:2 Literally “each with his companion”
  4. Psalm 12:2 Literally “a heart and a heart”
  5. Psalm 12:5 Hebrew “he”
  6. Psalm 12:7 Or “us”

Psalm 12[a]

For the director of music. According to sheminith.[b] A psalm of David.

Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore;(A)
    those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.
Everyone lies(B) to their neighbor;
    they flatter with their lips
    but harbor deception in their hearts.(C)

May the Lord silence all flattering lips(D)
    and every boastful tongue—(E)
those who say,
    “By our tongues we will prevail;(F)
    our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”

“Because the poor are plundered(G) and the needy groan,(H)
    I will now arise,(I)” says the Lord.
    “I will protect them(J) from those who malign them.”
And the words of the Lord are flawless,(K)
    like silver purified(L) in a crucible,(M)
    like gold[c] refined seven times.

You, Lord, will keep the needy safe(N)
    and will protect us forever from the wicked,(O)
who freely strut(P) about
    when what is vile is honored by the human race.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 12:1 In Hebrew texts 12:1-8 is numbered 12:2-9.
  2. Psalm 12:1 Title: Probably a musical term
  3. Psalm 12:6 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text earth