1. For the director. On the eight-tone scale. A psalm by David.
2. Help, YHWH! For the loyal one has disappeared;
for faithful ones have vanished from among humanity.
3. They speak falsehood, each with his neighbour;
with flattering lips, with duplicity they speak.
4. May YHWH exterminate all flattering lips,
[every] tongue speaking great things,
5. [all] who have said, “We can speak boldly;
Our lips are under our control; who is our master?”
6. “Because afflicted ones are devastated, because poor ones groan,
now I will rise up,” says YHWH.
“I will place in safety the one for whom someone sets traps.”
7. YHWH’s words are pure words,
silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
purified seven times over.
8. You, YHWH, will guard them;
You will protect him from the generation which is forever.
9. Wicked ones roam around
when vileness is esteemed among humans.
The Close-but-clear translation (CBC) exists to provide a window into the Hebrew text according to how we understand its syntax and word-to-phrase-level semantics. It is not intended to be used as a stand-alone translation or base text, but as a supplement to Layer-by-Layer materials to help users make full use of these resources.
For links to other translations of Psalm 12, click here.
Videos
Overview Video
Poetic Features Video
Exegetical Issues Video
Verse-by-Verse
Click the link to view all of Psalm 12 Verse-by-Verse, or click on an individual verse below.
