Psalms 12

1 For the leader; on the sheminith. A psalm of David. Help, Lord, for the good are all gone, faithful people have vanished.

To the victorie on the eiyte, the song of Dauid. Lord, make thou me saaf, for the hooli failide; for treuthis ben maad litle fro the sones of men.

2 One lies to another, speaking empty lies, with flattering lips and false hearts they speak.

Thei spaken veyn thingis, ech man to hys neiybore; thei han gileful lippis, thei spaken in herte and herte.

3 May the Lord cut off all the flattering lips, and the tongue that utters arrogance,

The Lord destrie alle gileful lippis; and the greet spekynge tunge.

4 they declare, ‘Our tongue is our strength, our allies our lips: who is lord over us?’

Whiche seiden, We schulen magnyfie oure tunge, our lippis ben of vs; who is oure lord?

5 ‘The poor are despoiled, and the needy are sighing; so now I will act,’ the Lord declares ‘And place them in the safety they long for.’

For the wretchednesse of nedy men, and for the weilyng of pore men; now Y schal ryse vp, seith the Lord. I schal sette inhelt he; Y schal do tristili in hym.

6 The words of the Lord are words that are pure, silver smelted, seven times refined.

The spechis of the Lord ben chast spechis; siluer examynyd bi fier, preued fro erthe, purgid seuen fold.

7 You will keep us, Lord, and guard us from this generation forever,

Thou, Lord, schalt kepe vs; and thou `schalt kepe vs fro this generacioun with outen ende.

8 in a world where the wicked prowl, and worthless people exalted.

Wickid men goen in cumpas; bi thin hiynesse thou hast multiplied the sones of men.