Psalm 12

Psalm 12 – A Prayer for the Faithful in a False World

For the leader; on the sheminith. A psalm of David.

1Help, Lord, for the good are all gone,

faithful people have vanished.

2One lies to another, speaking empty lies,

with flattering lips and false hearts they speak.

3May the Lord cut off all the flattering lips,

and the tongue that utters arrogance,

4they declare, ‘Our tongue is our strength,

our allies our lips: who is lord over us?’

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.’

6The words of the Lord are words that are pure,

silver smelted, seven times refined.

7You will keep us, Lord,

and guard us from this generation forever,

8in a world where the wicked prowl,

and the worthless are exalted.