Psalm 11:1–12:8

^1–311I’ve already run for dear life

straight to the arms of God.

So why would I run away now

when you say,

“Run to the mountains; the evil

bows are bent, the wicked arrows

Aimed to shoot under cover of darkness

at every heart open to God.

The bottom’s dropped out of the country;

good people don’t have a chance”?

^4–6But God hasn’t moved to the mountains;

his holy address hasn’t changed.

He’s in charge, as always, his eyes

taking everything in, his eyelids

Unblinking, examining Adam’s unruly brood

inside and out, not missing a thing.

He tests the good and the bad alike;

if anyone cheats, God’s outraged.

Fail the test and you’re out,

out in a hail of firestones,

Drinking from a canteen

filled with hot desert wind.

⁷God’s business is putting things right;

he loves getting the lines straight,

Setting us straight. Once we’re standing tall,

we can look him straight in the eye.

A David Psalm

^1–212Quick, God, I need your helping hand!

The last decent person just went down,

All the friends I depended on gone.

Everyone talks in lie language;

Lies slide off their oily lips.

They double-talk with forked tongues.

^3–4Slice their lips off their faces! Pull

The braggart tongues from their mouths!

I’m tired of hearing, “We can talk anyone into anything!

Our lips manage the world.”

⁵Into the hovels of the poor,

Into the dark streets where the homeless groan, God speaks:

“I’ve had enough; I’m on my way

To heal the ache in the heart of the wretched.”

^6–8God’s words are pure words,

Pure silver words refined seven times

In the fires of his word-kiln,

Pure on earth as well as in heaven.

God, keep us safe from their lies,

From the wicked who stalk us with lies,

From the wicked who collect honors

For their wonderful lies.