Psalm 11

Refuge in the Lord

For the choir director. Davidic.

I have taken refuge in the Lord.(A)
How can you say to me,
“Escape to the mountain like a bird![a](B)
For look, the wicked string the bow;
they put the[b] arrow on the bowstring
to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.(C)
When the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”(D)

The Lord is in His holy temple;(E)
the Lord’s throne is in heaven.(F)
His eyes watch; He examines[c] everyone.
The Lord examines the righteous and the wicked.
He hates the lover of violence.(G)
He will rain burning coals[d] and sulfur on the wicked;
a scorching wind will be their portion.[e](H)
For the Lord is righteous; He loves righteous deeds.
The upright will see His face.(I)

Psalm 12

Oppression by the Wicked

For the choir director: according to Sheminith.(J) A Davidic psalm.

Help, Lord, for no faithful one remains;
the loyal have disappeared from the human race.(K)
They lie to one another;
they speak with flattering lips and deceptive hearts.(L)
May the Lord cut off all flattering lips
and the tongue that speaks boastfully.(M)
They say, “Through our tongues we have power;[f]
our lips are our own—who can be our master?”(N)

“Because of the oppression of the afflicted
and the groaning of the poor,
I will now rise up,” says the Lord.
“I will put the one who longs for it in a safe place.”(O)

The words of the Lord are pure words,
like silver refined in an earthen furnace,
purified seven times.(P)

You, Lord, will guard us;[g]
You will protect us[h] from this generation forever.(Q)
The wicked wander[i] everywhere,
and what is worthless is exalted by the human race.(R)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 11:1 Lit to your mountain, bird
  2. Psalm 11:2 Lit their
  3. Psalm 11:4 Lit His eyelids examine
  4. Psalm 11:6 Sym; MT reads rain snares, fire
  5. Psalm 11:6 Lit be the portion of their cup
  6. Psalm 12:4 Lit That say, “By our tongues we are strengthened
  7. Psalm 12:7 Some Hb mss, LXX, Jer; other Hb mss read them
  8. Psalm 12:7 Some Hb mss, LXX; other Hb mss read him
  9. Psalm 12:8 Lit walk about

Psalm 11

For the director of music. Of David.

In the Lord I take refuge.(A)
    How then can you say to me:
    “Flee(B) like a bird to your mountain.(C)
For look, the wicked bend their bows;(D)
    they set their arrows(E) against the strings
to shoot from the shadows(F)
    at the upright in heart.(G)
When the foundations(H) are being destroyed,
    what can the righteous do?”

The Lord is in his holy temple;(I)
    the Lord is on his heavenly throne.(J)
He observes everyone on earth;(K)
    his eyes examine(L) them.
The Lord examines the righteous,(M)
    but the wicked, those who love violence,
    he hates with a passion.(N)
On the wicked he will rain
    fiery coals and burning sulfur;(O)
    a scorching wind(P) will be their lot.

For the Lord is righteous,(Q)
    he loves justice;(R)
    the upright(S) will see his face.(T)

Psalm 12[a]

For the director of music. According to sheminith.[b] A psalm of David.

Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore;(U)
    those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.
Everyone lies(V) to their neighbor;
    they flatter with their lips
    but harbor deception in their hearts.(W)

May the Lord silence all flattering lips(X)
    and every boastful tongue—(Y)
those who say,
    “By our tongues we will prevail;(Z)
    our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”

“Because the poor are plundered(AA) and the needy groan,(AB)
    I will now arise,(AC)” says the Lord.
    “I will protect them(AD) from those who malign them.”
And the words of the Lord are flawless,(AE)
    like silver purified(AF) in a crucible,(AG)
    like gold[c] refined seven times.

You, Lord, will keep the needy safe(AH)
    and will protect us forever from the wicked,(AI)
who freely strut(AJ) about
    when what is vile is honored by the human race.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 12:1 In Hebrew texts 12:1-8 is numbered 12:2-9.
  2. Psalm 12:1 Title: Probably a musical term
  3. Psalm 12:6 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text earth