Psalm – Chapter 12

(Of David, to the chief Musician)

1 Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.

2 They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.

3 The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:

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

5 For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him (*).

(*) Another rendering of the clause is “I will set in safety, he shall puff at him (the oppressor).”

6 The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

7 Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation (*) for ever.

(*) In the sense of “lineage”, referring to the lineage of the wicked described in this entire psalm, and not referring only to the people living at the time of David, because David was talking about the span of time “for ever” here. The Word of God, the Bible, indeed was attacked and attempted to alter by many wicked people throughout history, but was protected intact by Him even until today, just as these 2 verses [19] Thi Ca 12:6-7 declared.

8 The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.