Psalm 11:1–12:8

¹In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to me,

“Flee like a bird to the mountains,^l*

²for look, the wicked bend the bow,

they have fitted their arrow to the string,

to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart.^*

³If the foundations are destroyed,

what can the righteous do?”^*

⁴The Lord is in his holy temple;

the Lord’s throne is in heaven.

His eyes behold; his gaze examines humankind.^*

⁵The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked,

and his soul hates the lover of violence.^*

⁶On the wicked he will rain coals of fire and sulfur;

a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.^*

⁷For the Lord is righteous;

he loves righteous deeds;

the upright shall behold his face.^*

Psalm 12

Plea for Help in Evil Times

To the leader: according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David.

¹Help, O Lord, for there is no longer anyone who is godly;

the faithful have disappeared from humankind.^*

²They utter lies to each other;

with flattering lips and a deceitful heart they speak.^*

³May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,

the tongue that makes great boasts,^*

⁴those who say, “With our tongues we will prevail;

our lips are our own—who is our master?”

⁵“Because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan,

I will now rise up,” says the Lord;

“I will place them in the safety for which they long.”^*

⁶The promises of the Lord are promises that are pure,

silver refined in a furnace on the ground,

purified seven times.^*

⁷You, O Lord, will protect us;

you will guard us from this generation forever.^*

⁸On every side the wicked prowl,

as vileness is exalted among humankind.^*