Psalm 12-14
Amplified Bible
God, a Helper against the Treacherous.
To the Chief Musician; [a]set an octave below. A Psalm of David.
12 Save and help and rescue, Lord, for godly people cease to be,
For the faithful vanish from among the sons of men.
2
They speak deceitful and worthless words to one another;
With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
3
May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
The tongue that speaks great things [in boasting];
4
Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own; who is lord and master over us?”
5
“Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy,
Now I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”
6
The words and promises of the Lord are pure words,
Like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times.
7
You, O Lord, will preserve and keep them;
You will protect him from this [evil] generation forever.
8
The wicked strut about [in pompous self-importance] on every side,
As vileness is exalted and baseness is prized among the sons of men.
Prayer for Help in Trouble.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
13 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
2
How long must I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart day after day?
How long will my enemy exalt himself and triumph over me?
3
Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
Give light (life) to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
4
And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.
5
But I have trusted and relied on and been confident in Your lovingkindness and faithfulness;
My heart shall rejoice and delight in Your salvation.
6
I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
Folly and Wickedness of Men.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
14 The [spiritually ignorant] fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they have committed repulsive and unspeakable deeds;
There is no one who does good.(A)
2
The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the children of men
To see if there are any who understand (act wisely),
Who [truly] seek after God, [longing for His wisdom and guidance].
3
They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt;
There is no one who does good, not even one.(B)
4
Have all the workers of wickedness and injustice no knowledge,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And do not call upon the Lord?
5
There they tremble with great fear,
For God is with the [consistently] righteous generation.
6
You [evildoers] shamefully plan against the poor,
But the Lord is his safe refuge.
7
Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When the Lord restores His captive people,
Then Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad.(C)
Footnotes
- Psalm 12:1 Or possibly on the eight-stringed lyre; meaning uncertain.
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