Psalm 11-12

New American Standard Bible

The Lord, a Refuge and Defense.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

11 In the Lord I ^(A)take refuge;
How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your ^(B)mountain?
²For, behold, the wicked ^(C)bend the bow,
They have ^[a]^(D)set their arrow on the string
To ^(E)shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.
³If the ^(F)foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?”

⁴The Lord is in His ^(G)holy temple; the ^[b]Lord’s ^(H)throne is in heaven;
His ^(I)eyes see, His eyelids test the sons of mankind.
⁵The Lord ^(J)tests the righteous and ^(K)the wicked,
And His soul hates one who loves violence.
⁶He will ^(L)rain ^[c]coals of fire upon the wicked,
^(M)And brimstone and ^(N)burning wind will be the portion of ^(O)their cup.
⁷For the Lord is ^(P)righteous, ^(Q)He loves ^[d]righteousness;
The upright will ^(R)see His face.

God, a Helper against the Treacherous.

For the music director; ^[e]upon an eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm of David.

12 Help, Lord, for ^(S)the godly person has come to an end,
For the faithful have disappeared from the sons of mankind.
²They ^(T)speak ^[f]lies to one another;
They speak with ^[g]^(U)flattering lips and a double heart.
³May the Lord cut off all ^[h]flattering lips,
The tongue that ^(V)speaks great things;
⁴Who ^(W)have said, “With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are ^[i]our own; who is lord over us?”
⁵“Because of the ^(X)devastation of the poor, because of the groaning of the needy,
Now ^(Y)I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will ^(Z)put him in the safety for which he longs.”

⁶The ^(AA)words of the Lord are pure words;
Like silver ^(AB)refined in a furnace on the ground, filtered seven times.
⁷You, Lord, will keep them;
You will ^(AC)protect him from this generation forever.
⁸The ^(AD)wicked strut about on every side
When ^[j]^(AE)vileness is exalted among the sons of mankind.

Footnotes

Psalm 11:2 Or fixed
Psalm 11:4 Lit Lord, His throne
Psalm 11:6 As in a Gr version; MT snares; Fire and
Psalm 11:7 Or righteous deeds
Psalm 12 Title Or according to a lower octave (Heb Sheminith)
Psalm 12:2 Lit worthless speech
Psalm 12:2 Lit a smooth lip
Psalm 12:3 Lit a smooth lip
Psalm 12:4 Lit with us
Psalm 12:8 Or worthlessness

Psalm 11-12

New International Version

Psalm 11

For the director of music. Of David.

¹In the Lord I take refuge.^(A)
    How then can you say to me:
    “Flee^(B) like a bird to your mountain.^(C)
²For 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)
³When the foundations^(H) are being destroyed,
    what can the righteous do?”

⁴The 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.
⁵The Lord examines the righteous,^(M)
    but the wicked, those who love violence,
    he hates with a passion.^(N)
⁶On the wicked he will rain
    fiery coals and burning sulfur;^(O)
    a scorching wind^(P) will be their lot.

⁷For 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.

¹Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore;^(U)
    those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.
²Everyone lies^(V) to their neighbor;
    they flatter with their lips
    but harbor deception in their hearts.^(W)

³May the Lord silence all flattering lips^(X)
    and every boastful tongue—^(Y)
⁴those who say,
    “By our tongues we will prevail;^(Z)
    our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”

⁵“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.”
⁶And the words of the Lord are flawless,^(AE)
    like silver purified^(AF) in a crucible,^(AG)
    like gold^[c] refined seven times.

⁷You, Lord, will keep the needy safe^(AH)
and will protect us forever from the wicked,^(AI)
⁸who freely strut^(AJ) about
when what is vile is honored by the human race.

Footnotes

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

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

New American Standard Bible is made available by The Lockman Foundation

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 11-12

New American Standard Bible

The Lord, a Refuge and Defense.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

God, a Helper against the Treacherous.

For the music director; ^[e]upon an eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm of David.

Footnotes

Cross references

Psalm 11-12

New International Version

Psalm 11

For the director of music. Of David.

Psalm 12^[a]

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

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Psalm 11-12 New American Standard Bible

The Lord, a Refuge and Defense.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

God, a Helper against the Treacherous.

For the music director; [e]upon an eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm of David.

Footnotes

Cross references

Psalm 11-12 New International Version

Psalm 11

For the director of music. Of David.

Psalm 12[a]

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

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Psalm 11-12

New American Standard Bible

For the music director; ^[e]upon an eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm of David.

Psalm 11-12

New International Version

Psalm 12^[a]

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