Psalm 11:title–12:8

REFUGE IN THE LORD

For the choir director. Of David.

¹I have taken refuge in the Lord.^af

How can you say to me,

“Escape to the mountains^D like a bird!^ag

²For look, the wicked string bows;

they put their arrows on bowstrings

to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.^a

³When the foundations are destroyed,

what can the righteous do?”^b

⁴The Lord is in his holy temple;^c

the Lord—his throne is in heaven.^d

His eyes watch; his gaze^A examines everyone.^B

⁵The Lord examines the righteous, but he hates the wicked

and^C those who love violence.^e

⁶Let him rain burning coals^D and sulfur on the wicked;

let a scorching wind be the portion in their cup.^f

⁷For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds.

The upright will see his face.^g

Psalm 12

OPPRESSION BY THE WICKED

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

¹Help, Lord, for no faithful one remains;

the loyal have disappeared from the human race.ⁱ

²They lie to one another;

they speak with flattering lips and deceptive hearts.^j

³May the Lord cut off all flattering lips

and the tongue that speaks boastfully.^k

⁴They say, “Through our tongues we have power;

our lips are our own—who can be our master?”^l

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.”^m

⁶The words of the Lord are pure words,

like silver refined in an earthen furnace,

purified seven times.ⁿ

⁷You, Lord, will guard us;^F

you will protect us^G from this generation forever.^o

⁸The wicked prowl^H all around,

and what is worthless is exalted by the human race.^p