Psalm 11:1–12:8

¹I have taken refuge in the Lord. ^k

How can you say to me,

“Escape to the mountain like a bird! ^lm

²For look, the wicked string the bow;

they put the ⁿarrow on the bowstring

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

³When the foundations are destroyed,

what can the righteous do?” ^p

⁴The Lord is in His holy temple; ^q

the Lord’s throne is in heaven. ^r

His eyes watch; He examines ^severyone.

⁵The Lord examines the righteous and the wicked.

He hates the lover of violence. ^t

⁶He will rain burning coals ^uand sulfur on the wicked;

a scorching wind will be their portion. ^vw

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

The upright will see His face. ^x

Psalm 12

Oppression by the Wicked

For the choir director: according to Sheminith. ^yA Davidic psalm.

¹Help, Lord, for no faithful one remains;

the loyal have disappeared from the human race. ^z

²They lie to one another;

they speak with flattering lips and deceptive hearts. ^a

³May the Lord cut off all flattering lips

and the tongue that speaks boastfully. ^b

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

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

⁵“Because of the oppression of the afflicted

and the groaning of the poor,

I will now rise up,” says the Lord.

“I will put the one who longs for it in a safe place.” ^e

⁶The words of the Lord are pure words,

like silver refined in an earthen furnace,

purified seven times. ^f

⁷You, Lord, will guard us; ^g

You will protect us ^hfrom this generation forever. ⁱ

⁸The wicked wander ^jeverywhere,

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