Psalms 12
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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.
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.
8 The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.
Public Domain KJV text from Wordproject.org
Psalm 12:1-8
The Faithful Have Vanished
To the choirmaster: according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David.
1Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone;
for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.
2Everyone utters lies to his neighbor;
with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
3May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
the tongue that makes great boasts,
4those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail,
our lips are with us; who is master over us?”
5“Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan,
I will now arise,” says the Lord;
“I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”
6The words of the Lord are pure words,
like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
purified seven times.
7You, O Lord, will keep them;
you will guard us from this generation forever.
8On every side the wicked prowl,
as vileness is exalted among the children of man.
ESV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Psalm 12:1-8
Psalm 12
For the director of music. According to sheminith. A psalm of David.
1Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore;
those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.
2Everyone lies to their neighbor;
they flatter with their lips
but harbor deception in their hearts.
3May the Lord silence all flattering lips
and every boastful tongue—
4those who say,
“By our tongues we will prevail;
our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”
5“Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan,
I will now arise,” says the Lord.
“I will protect them from those who malign them.”
6And the words of the Lord are flawless,
like silver purified in a crucible,
like gold refined seven times.
7You, Lord, will keep the needy safe
and will protect us forever from the wicked,
8who freely strut about
when what is vile is honored by the human race.
NIV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Commentary
When David entered the court of King Saul, he struggled to find anyone who spoke truth and was seeking God. Instead, he found liars, gossips, flatterers--all looking to gain favor with Saul.
Today, the church may struggle with some of the same behaviors. Sometimes we--who make up the church--need to grow in the ministry God has given us. It seems to me David had an awakening to become the man after God's own heart. He saw what was happening in Saul's court, and he set out to be a man of integrity who followed God with the same conviction and trust with which he slew a God-mocking Goliath.
Today we can also honor God in His court, becoming a people true to the God we love. We can lean on God's Word, and be watchful what comes out of our lips.
Rj Ryen
Washington State, USA
