Psalm 12

A Prayer Against Liars

For the director of music. Upon the sheminith. A psalm of David.

12Save me, Lord, because the good people are all gone;

no true believers are left on earth.

²Everyone lies to his neighbors;

they say one thing and mean another.

³The Lord will stop those flattering lips

and cut off those bragging tongues.

⁴They say, “Our tongues will help us win.

We can say what we wish; no one is our master.”

⁵But the Lord says,

“I will now rise up,

because the poor are being hurt.

Because of the moans of the helpless,

I will give them the help they want.”

⁶The Lord’s words are pure,

like silver purified by fire,

like silver purified seven times over.

⁷Lord, you will keep us safe;

you will always protect us from such people.

⁸But the wicked are all around us;

everyone loves what is wrong.