Psalm 12

Expanded Bible

A Prayer Against Liars

For the director of music. Upon the ·sheminith [^Leighth; ^Ca reference to an eight-stringed instrument or possibly the manner of singing]. A psalm of David.

12 Save me, Lord, because the ·good [faithful; godly; covenantal; loyal] people are all gone;
    ·no true believers are left on earth [^Lthe faithful have vanished among humanity].
²Everyone ·lies [^Lspeaks falsehood] to his neighbors;
    they ·say one thing and mean another [speak with flattering lips and with a double heart/^Lheart and heart].
³The Lord will ·stop [^Lcut off] those flattering lips
    and those bragging tongues.
⁴They say, “Our tongues will ·help us win [prevail].
    ·We can say what we wish [^LOur lips belong to us]; ·no one [^Lwho…?] is our master.”

⁵But the Lord says,
    “I will now rise up,
    because the ·poor [weak] are ·being hurt [destroyed; plundered; oppressed].
Because of the ·moans [groans; sighs] of the ·helpless [needy],
    I will give them the ·help [victory] they ·want [long for].”
⁶The Lord’s ·words [or promises] are ·pure [flawless],
    like silver ·purified [refined] ·by fire [or in a furnace],
·purified [refined] seven times over [18:30; 119:140].

⁷Lord, you will ·keep us safe [^Lguard/protect them];
you will always ·protect [guard] us from such ·people [a generation].
⁸But the wicked ·are [^Lwalk] all around us;
·everyone loves what is wrong [^Lwhat is vile is lifted up among the sons of man/humanity].

Psalm 12

New International Version

Psalm 12^[a]

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

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

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

⁵“Because the poor are plundered^(G) and the needy groan,^(H)
    I will now arise,^(I)” says the Lord.
    “I will protect them^(J) from those who malign them.”
⁶And the words of the Lord are flawless,^(K)
    like silver purified^(L) in a crucible,^(M)
    like gold^[c] refined seven times.

⁷You, Lord, will keep the needy safe^(N)
and will protect us forever from the wicked,^(O)
⁸who freely strut^(P) 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

Expanded Bible (EXB)

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 12

Expanded Bible

A Prayer Against Liars

For the director of music. Upon the ·sheminith [^Leighth; ^Ca reference to an eight-stringed instrument or possibly the manner of singing]. A psalm of David.

Psalm 12

New International Version

Psalm 12^[a]

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

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Psalm 12 Expanded Bible

A Prayer Against Liars

For the director of music. Upon the ·sheminith [L eighth; C a reference to an eight-stringed instrument or possibly the manner of singing]. A psalm of David.

Psalm 12 New International Version

Psalm 12[a]

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

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Psalm 12

Expanded Bible

For the director of music. Upon the ·sheminith [^Leighth; ^Ca reference to an eight-stringed instrument or possibly the manner of singing]. A psalm of David.

Psalm 12

New International Version

Psalm 12^[a]

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