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Silence the Flattering Lips

Psalm 12

For the music director, on the eight-string lyre, a psalm of David.
Help, Adonai! For no one godly exists.
For the faithful have vanished from the children of men.
Everyone tells a lie to his neighbor,
talking with flattering lips and a divided heart.
May Adonai cut off all flattering lips—
a tongue bragging big things.
They say: “With our tongue we’ll prevail.
We own our lips—who can master us?”

“Because of the oppression of the poor,
because of the groaning of the needy,
now will I arise,” says Adonai.
“I will put him in the safe place—he pants for it.”
The words of Adonai are pure words—
like silver refined in an earthly crucible,
    purified seven times.
You will keep us safe, Adonai.
You will protect us from this generation forever.
The wicked strut all around,
while vileness is exalted by mankind.

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