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The Faithful Have Vanished

To the choirmaster: according to The Sheminith.[a] A Psalm of David.

12 Save, O Lord, for (A)the godly one is gone;
    for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.
Everyone (B)utters lies to his neighbour;
    with (C)flattering lips and (D)a double heart they speak.
May the Lord cut off all (E)flattering lips,
    the tongue that makes (F)great boasts,
those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail,
    our lips are with us; who is master over us?”
“Because (G)the poor are plundered, because the needy groan,
    (H)I will now arise,” says the Lord;
    “I will place him in the (I)safety for which he longs.”
(J)The words of the Lord are pure words,
    like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
    purified seven times.
You, O Lord, will keep them;
    you will guard us[b] from this generation for ever.
On every side the wicked prowl,
    as vileness is exalted among the children of man.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 12:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  2. Psalm 12:7 Or guard him

Psalm 12[a]

For the director of music. According to sheminith.[b] A psalm of David.

Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore;(A)
    those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.
Everyone lies(B) to their neighbor;
    they flatter with their lips
    but harbor deception in their hearts.(C)

May the Lord silence all flattering lips(D)
    and every boastful tongue—(E)
those who say,
    “By our tongues we will prevail;(F)
    our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”

“Because the poor are plundered(G) and the needy groan,(H)
    I will now arise,(I)” says the Lord.
    “I will protect them(J) from those who malign them.”
And the words of the Lord are flawless,(K)
    like silver purified(L) in a crucible,(M)
    like gold[c] refined seven times.

You, Lord, will keep the needy safe(N)
    and will protect us forever from the wicked,(O)
who freely strut(P) about
    when what is vile is honored by the human race.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 12:1 In Hebrew texts 12:1-8 is numbered 12:2-9.
  2. Psalm 12:1 Title: Probably a musical term
  3. Psalm 12:6 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text earth