Psalm 12

Christian Standard Bible

Psalm 12

Oppression by the Wicked

For the choir director: according to Sheminith.^(A) A psalm of David.

¹Help, Lord, for no faithful one remains;
the loyal have disappeared from the human race.^[a]^(B)
²They lie to one another;
they speak with flattering lips and deceptive hearts.^(C)
³May the Lord cut off all flattering lips
and the tongue that speaks boastfully.^(D)
⁴They say, “Through our tongues we have power;
our lips are our own—who can be our master?” ^(E)

⁵“Because of the devastation of the needy
and the groaning of the poor,
I will now rise up,” says the Lord.
“I will provide safety for the one who longs for it.”^(F)

⁶The words of the Lord are pure words,
like silver refined in an earthen furnace,
purified seven times.^(G)

⁷You, Lord, will guard us;^[b]
you will protect us^[c] from this generation forever.^(H)
⁸The wicked prowl^[d] all around,
and what is worthless is exalted by the human race.^(I)

Footnotes

12:1 Or the descendants of Adam, also in v. 8
12:7 Some Hb mss, LXX, Jer; other Hb mss read them
12:7 Some Hb mss, LXX; other Hb mss read him
12:8 Lit walk about

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