Psalm 12

Psalm 12

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

¹Help, Lord! Those who do what is right are gone.

Those who are faithful have disappeared from the earth.

²Everyone tells lies to his neighbors.

With his lips he praises others, but he doesn’t really mean it.

³May the Lord cut off all lips that don’t mean what they say.

May he cut out every tongue that brags.

⁴They say, “We will win the battle with our tongues.

Our lips belong to us. No one else is in charge of us.”

⁵The Lord says, “The weak are beaten down.

Those who are in need groan.

So I will stand up to help them.

I will keep them safe from those who tell lies about them.”

⁶The words of the Lord are perfect.

They are like silver made pure in a clay furnace.

They are like silver made pure seven times over.

⁷Lord, you will keep us safe.

You will always keep sinners from hurting us.

⁸Proud and sinful people walk around openly

when the evil they do is praised by others.