Psalms 12

1 For the Chief Musician; upon an eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm of David. Help, LORD; for the godly man ceases. For the faithful fail from amongst the children of men.

Yahweh, help us! [It seems that] people who are loyal to you have all vanished.

2 Everyone lies to his neighbour. They speak with flattering lips, and with a double heart.

Everyone tells lies to other people; they deceive others by (flattering them/saying good things about them that they know are not true).

3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that boasts,

Yahweh, we wish that you would cut off their tongues so that they cannot continue to boast.

4 who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail. Our lips are our own. Who is lord over us?”

They say, “By telling lies we will get what we want; we control what we say [MTY], so no one can tell us what we should not do!”

5 “Because of the oppression of the weak and because of the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,” says the LORD; “I will set him in safety from those who malign him.”

But Yahweh replies, “I have seen the violent things that they have done to helpless people; and I have heard those people groaning, so I will arise and rescue the people who are wanting me to help them.”

6 The LORD’s words are flawless words, as silver refined in a clay furnace, purified seven times.

Yahweh, you always do what you have promised to do; what you have promised is [as precious and pure as] silver that has been heated seven times in a furnace [to get rid of all the] impure material.

7 You will keep them, LORD. You will preserve them from this generation forever.

Wicked people strut around [proudly], and people praise them for doing vile/wicked deeds, but Yahweh, [we know that] you will protect/rescue us from those wicked people.

8 The wicked walk on every side, when what is vile is exalted amongst the sons of men.