Psalms 12

1 To the chief Musician. Upon Sheminith. A Psalm of David. Save, Jehovah, for the godly man is gone; for the faithful have failed from among the children of men.

For the music director. To the Sheminith. A psalm of David. Help, Lord, for all the good people have gone! Those who trust in you have disappeared from among the people on earth.

2 They speak falsehood every one with his neighbour: [with] flattering lip, with a double heart, do they speak.

Everyone lies to their neighbors. They flatter with nice talk, but they don't mean what they say.

3 Jehovah will cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaketh proud things,

Stop their flattery, Lord, and silence their boasts—

4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail, our lips are our own: who [is] lord over us?

these people who say, “We will succeed through what we say; our mouths belong to us. We don't take orders from anyone!”

5 Because of the oppression of the afflicted, because of the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith Jehovah, I will set [him] in safety, at whom they puff.

“Because of the violence the helpless have suffered, and because of the groans of the poor, I will rise up to defend them,” says the Lord. “I will give them the protection they have been longing for.”

6 The words of Jehovah are pure words, silver tried in the furnace of earth, purified seven times.

What the Lord says is trustworthy, as pure as silver refined seven times in a furnace.

7 Thou, Jehovah, wilt keep them, thou wilt preserve them from this generation for ever.

You, Lord will keep the oppressed safe; you will protect us from these kinds of people forever;

8 The wicked walk about on every side, when vileness is exalted among the children of men.

even though the wicked are all around us, and evil is being promoted everywhere.