Psalms 12

1 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.

For the end, A Psalm of David, upon the eighth. Save me, O Lord; for the godly man has failed; for truth is diminished from amongst the children of men.

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

Every one has spoken vanity to his neighbour: their lips are deceitful, they have spoken with a double heart.

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

Let the Lord destroy all the deceitful lips, and the tongue that speaks great words:

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

who have said, We will magnify our tongue; our lips are our own: who is Lord of us?

5 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.

Because of the misery of the poor, and because of the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, says the Lord, I will set [them] in safety; I will speak [to them] thereof openly.

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

The oracles of the Lord are pure oracles; as silver tried in the fire, proved [in] a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

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

You, O Lord, shall keep us, and shall preserve us, from this generation, and for ever.

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

The ungodly walk around: according to your greatness you has greatly exalted the sons of men.